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As in other years when Christianity’s central liturgical celebration coincides in East and West, it’s especially welcome for “blended” families that have both Catholic and Orthodox members.

“Since Easter falls on the same date this year, the only feeling one can have is joy,” Joseph Lovskiy, the only Catholic in his family in Yekaterinburg in Russia, told Catholic News Agency in a written interview translated from Russian.

Lovskiy’s wife, three children and six grandchildren are all Russian Orthodox, and his youngest son is a Russian Orthodox priest. 

Arina Agnew, who was born Orthodox and converted with her family to Catholicism as she grew up in New Jersey, is an American Catholic who is similarly excited about the opportunity to celebrate a joint Easter in 2025 with her family members. 

“But we still have family who is Orthodox, and we celebrate with them,” Agnew told EWTN News. “We are going to New Jersey to celebrate with them for this Easter since it’s at the same time.”  

Orthodox faithful who live in the U.S. are also looking forward to being able to celebrate Easter in common with their Catholic relatives this year. “Almost 70, 75% of the Greek Orthodox, all Orthodox Christians, are married to non-Orthodox husbands or wives,” Archbishop Elpidophoros of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America told EWTN News. “Can you imagine how difficult it is for a family not to be able to celebrate together at the same day, the same feast? That’s a problem.”

The convergence of Easter occurs occasionally when the Gregorian calendar, used by the Catholic Church, and the Julian calendar, used by Orthodox Churches not in communion with Rome, align on their calculations for Easter. (The two calendars will next converge on April 9, 2034.) 

Read the full story at ncregister.com. | Photo: Father John Basarab, pastor of Epiphany of Our Lord Byzantine Catholic Church, celebrates Easter 2024 in Annandale, Virginia. (photo: Courtesy of Father John Basarab )