Elgin church's passion forced inside

An early Easter, combined with wind and cold, is forcing an Elgin church's re-enactment of Jesus' crucifixion to relocate.

The St. Joseph Catholic Church's Passion March this Friday will be held entirely inside the school's gym for the first time in its history, organizer Felix Modesto said.

Bitter cold from last year forced organizers to consider back in December holding the event inside.

Normally, the passion play -- complete with Roman soldiers, the Virgin Mary, Mary Magdalene and others -- begins inside the gym before Jesus drags a giant cross along several city blocks.

A parade permit is even required.

But last year, it was so cold that one of the other two men crucified felt more pain from the weather than what was inflicted by soldiers.

"He was shaking because of the wind and the cold, but he was OK," Modesto recalled. "Last year was the worst one."

Modesto, who serves on the church's young adult group committee and will mark his seventh year coordinating the event, said it will be held on the gym's stage and the actual marching will be minimal.

He estimated the event will be over in about 40 minutes instead of the normal hour.

But with Easter falling in April next year, Modesto hopes to have better weather.

"I'll definitely do something bigger and get more people involved," he said.

The cold weather also is making local groups scramble with their egg hunt plans.

Good Shepherd Lutheran School will hold its third annual Easter egg hunt Saturday its location at Route 20 and Nesler Road in Elgin.

Whether it will be held inside depends on if there's snow on the ground, said Adrienne Muich, the school's director of education. If there is, the staff will hide some 2,000 eggs in the school gym and hallways.

"The egg hunt takes three minutes. If it's cold, we'll probably go outside. If it's snowing, we'll come inside," she said. "We'll make it work."

The Dundee Township Park District had to move quickly when organizers determined there was too much ice and leftover snow to hold its egg hunt outside.

Instead, several hundred kids from 3 to 10 years old played games for eggs and prizes at an elementary school.

Organizers even moved a petting zoo inside.

"We had really positive comments from parents. (The kids) had an absolutely fantastic time," said Helen Schumate, the district's marketing director. "The staff did a yeoman's duty 10 days before when we realized the weather was not conducive."

Easter is April 12 next year, which provides a little solace.

"That helps, but with Chicago weather who knows," she said. "We have had snow in April before."