The protestant service
performed by Pastor Ulrich Holste-Helmer.
Staff Reporters
Protestants and Catholics mixed tradition with egg hunts
as Pattaya’s Christian community celebrated Easter.
The observance began April 6 at St. Nikolas Church where
the parishioners re-enacted the Good Friday walking of the Stations of the
Cross, parading once around the church with many alternating carrying the
cross to each station.
The congregation returned Saturday night when candles and
holy water were blessed - and Easter eggs handed out - in preparation for
Sunday’s mass.
The Catholic Easter mass.
The Easter Sunday ceremony also saw 12 children take
their first communion. The girls, dressed in white dresses with flowers in
their hair, and boys, decked out in black and white, all looked very serious
as they focused on getting all the details right.
Across town, Protestants celebrated Easter at a prayer
room in Naklua with Rev. Ulrich Holste-Helmer leading the sermon. Wolfram
Reda and Elisabeth Schmidt accompanied hymns and afterward all enjoyed an
Easter buffet.
In the afternoon came the annual Easter egg hunt
organized by the Child Protection & Development Center in Huay Yai. However,
because older boys were doing their Buddhist duties at a temple to prepare
for Songkran, they skipped the Christian affair, with kids from the Mercy
Home taking their place, accompanied by David Waterfall, an Australian
volunteer, and caretakers.
Director of the Human Help Network Thailand Radchada
Chomjinda had decorated the roofed sports stadium with the help of
volunteers in Easter style complete with plush animals and other toys
waiting to be raffled off.
Pattaya Blatt’s Elfi Seitz emceed as the Easter bunny
while Georgette and Helmut Kessler and Dieter Knittel hid colorful eggs and
tasty sweets and toys strategically. Running and laughing, the kids searched
thoroughly for their rewards, helped by three dogs.
A buffet of Thai food capped the party.
The 12 First-Communicants.
The Via Dolorosa is performed
at St. Nikolaus Church.
The hunt for Easter eggs.
