Easter Sunday

To celebrate Easter Sunday, Pam Rhodes joins Christians in Cornwall marking 50 years of the Carn Brea Easter Cross. This giant 30-foot structure has towered over the landscape on a rocky outcrop each Holy Week since 1976, visible for miles as a symbol of Jesus’s resurrection and the hope of Easter.

Pam meets Rodney Reed, who as a young Methodist youth worker first funded and erected the cross with his wife half a century ago. As the community gathers to raise it once again, Pam looks on and speaks with Martin and Andrew of Redruth Baptist Church, who now lead the tradition. They describe the cross as a signpost to reconciliation and a reminder of God’s love and say how privileged they are to continue Rodney’s legacy.

In nearby Lostwithiel, we hear the remarkable story of Sarah Worne, who discovered a long-lost ten-foot painting of Jesus on the cross in her barn. Now housed in St Bartholomew’s Church, it depicts a serene, robed Christ. It was this sense of peace that struck the church’s priest, Sheila Bawden, when she first welcomed the painting. Together, Sarah and Sheila have become detectives, piecing together the story behind this striking depiction of Jesus.

Finally, Pam joins Easter worship on Carn Brea beneath the towering cross, hearing what Easter means to the community.

With hymns affirming the joy and shared hope of the resurrection:

1. Jesus Christ Is Risen Today – Canterbury Cathedral
2. There Is a Green Hill Far Away – St Martin’s Church, Stamford
3. Lift High the Cross – St Martin-in-the-Fields, London
4. Let the Lower Lights Be Burning – Mevagissey Choir, St Pol-de-Leon Church, Penzance
5. O Praise the Name – Guildhall, Londonderry
6. Thine Be the Glory – Chester Cathedral