Easter reaches across cultural boundaries Volunteers at St. Willebrord Parish prepare the church Saturday for the Easter celebration today (Tina Gohr). By Patti Zarling News-Chronicle The Easter holiday and the days before it hold special significance for many members of the Green Bay community, regardless of their race, cultural or even religious upbringing. St. Willebrord Catholic Church, which serves a large number of the area's Hispanic population, will hold bilingual services today to celebrate the resurrection of Christ. The Rev. Ken DeGroot of St. Willebrord said the church will conduct traditional Easter Masses. On Good Friday, the church conducted a re-enactment of the Stations of the Cross, or a re-enactment of Jesus' walk to the cross before his crucifixion. It also conducted a veneration of the last seven words of Jesus on the cross. DeGroot said Hispanic parishioners participate in the Rosario de Pesame, in regards to the death of Christ. It's a rosary of condolences, he said, similar to when someone dies and people go to pay their respects. DeGroot said Holy Saturday is a day when many people join the church. Because Latinos come from traditionally Catholic countries, much of the celebrations are familiar to them, although the commercialism in the United States often is surprising. For Southeast Asians, however, the concept of Easter and Holy Week often is new. There is no comparable holiday in their traditional religions, according to Dick Campbell, a member of the Green Bay Mayor's Hmong Advisory Council. The religions of these highland groups, including the Hmong, are generally a mix of Buddhism and animism, though some may have been exposed to Catholic or Protestant missions. Animists worship the spirits of nature and the spirits of their departed ancestors. For the Hmong, specific religious traditions and rituals vary from clan to clan. "There are many Hmong who are Christian, and their traditions model what Christians do," Campbell said. "But this isn't a deep-seated tradition. While the missionaries did reach some, and many became Christian when they came to the U.S., this isn't one of their deep-seated beliefs." He said he believes there isn't a similar holiday or tradition in Hmong culture. This time of year, of course, does have special significance for people of the Jewish faith, even though they don't recognize Easter. Passover holiday began on Thursday, and Rabbi Sidney Vineburg of the Cnesses Israel Congregation in Green Bay said in many ways this time of year is easier for the community's somewhat small Jewish community to deal with than Christmas. "Many churches in the area like to acknowledge Passover, and I'm busy explaining Passover and the Seder meal to churches," Vineburg said. "Many believe the Last Supper was a Seder meal, so there's that connection. People are very interested in the Jewish roots of Christianity, particularly how it relates to the Christianity aspect of it." Passover is the celebration of the Israelites' exodus from Egypt. On Passover, a seder meal is eaten, and special dietary rules are followed throughout Passover, as outlined in the Book of Exodus. Vineburg said it can be a challenge for Jewish families to ignore Easter bunnies, candy and egg hunts that abound, but that it is less of a challenge than Christmas. "I'd just like to wish all our friends and neighbors a very blessed holiday," he said.