What started out as “two weeks” turned into months of closures for many churches adhering to COVID-19 restrictions, including Redeemer Church, which has campuses in Utica, Rome, Syracuse and Albany.

“From there, we weren’t really sure what was going to happen, but it seems like the last few weeks in particular, a lot of people that I haven’t seen in awhile are making their way back to church. Attendance is getting up there, and things are going really well,” Redeemer Church Pastor Michael Servello said.

The church resumed in-person services as soon as they could, and continues to offer online streaming as an option.

Servello said attendance is still down about 20%, but smaller campuses are actually having more visitors than they did before the pandemic.

“At our Rome campus, before the pandemic, there would be like 170 people. That’s including children and everything, and it’s exceeded that now. It’s doing phenomenal,” he said.

Servello said they try to keep things feeling small within their large congregations, which are multi-ethnic and multi-generational.

Redeemer Church has several programs and ministries to help reach the communities within the church, including young people.

“For example, on Easter Sunday when we’re celebrating the most Holy Week for Christians around the world, if there’s no resurrection there’s no Christianity. Kids will come on that Sunday and they will have a program and a message that’s dedicated to them in a very engaging, creative and biblical way. I’m proud of our church and what we do for children,” said Servello.

Redeemer Church did host Easter last year, but as with other churches, it involved restrictions. Still, Servello said it was a wonderful time.

“Last Easter was fantastic,” he said. “Of course, it wasn’t as highly attended as 2019, but it was still very well attended, and it was a great weekend.”

This year, the church can celebrate their joy of the resurrection in a more normal way.

“You can have freedom from the things that enslave you. You can hope for the future. You can know that death has been defeated and there is resurrection that’s possible, so it’s great news. I’m excited about it and I’m excited for anybody that’s going to come and hear that message because I know God works through it,” Servello said.

For more on how the pandemic has impacted Catholic communities and the vulnerable in nursing homes during Holy Week, Spectrum News 1 Digital Reporter Hayley Foran has more.