MAKAWAO — Two dozen children combed through grass and hedges at Makawao Union Church in search of Easter eggs Sunday, as church members and newcomers celebrated the resurrection of traditions at the historic church.

More than 100 people, including the children, filled the church for the first Easter service since COVID-19 restrictions were lifted.

“It was so joyous to be back together and to see the pews filled and so many kids,” said Martha-Lee Bohn, worship leader and lay pastor. “It made me tingle.”

Those attending included longtime members as well as newcomers and visitors, one from Germany.

For the first Easter since the church was shut down in the COVID epidemic two years ago, there were no social distancing markers and choir members and others could choose whether to wear masks or not.

“We need to honor people’s individual feelings for safety and precaution,” said Jay Slaughter, church moderator. “We’re eager to have people start coming again.”

While the church was open last Easter, fewer people attended and there was no egg hunt.

Along with its first Easter egg hunt in two years, the church had its first coffee hour since 2019 with members gathering for socializing and hot cross buns before the service Sunday.

“It was a wonderful feeling,” said Haiku resident Richard Ball, who used his cellphone to capture images of the day. “I thoroughly enjoyed it.”

“It’s been too long to have people not be able to come and experience the space,” said Judy Anderson, treasurer of the church council and a choir member. “It’s such an inspirational space.”

Wailuku resident Melanie Bailey said that except for a handful of times, her 92-year-old mother, Nancy Bohn, had been attending church through Zoom for most of the past two years.

On Sunday, she was happy to be in church “to have that human connection and reconnect with her friends,” Bailey said.

“Now this is without a mask and all together,” she said. “We could hug. We all come because it’s special.”

“It was lovely,” Bohn said. Her 2-year-old great-grandson, Theodore, from Switzerland, showed up for the Easter egg hunt, his first, with his parents, Erika and Bryce Cleborne.

During the pandemic, Makawao resident Tianne Yamashita said she wasn’t comfortable going inside for church.

“We’re starting to get back into it again,” she said Sunday.

Her 2-year-old daughter, Zha Zha Alegnani, joined in the Easter egg hunt, her first. Her mother brought eggs from home for the girl, and a boy gave her some eggs after seeing she was having trouble finding them.

“She’s extremely happy,” said the girl’s father, Jordan Alegnani. “This is awesome.”

Loretta Hughes, secretary for the church council, helped greet people who continued to arrive as the service started.

With cars filling the church lawn, the turnout was noticeably larger than the few dozen parishioners worshipping in person on other Sundays, while others watched from home on Zoom.

“This is a big day,” said Hughes, who recalled how her mother would take them to church on Christmas and Easter. “More people are coming now because we actually can.”

* Lila Fujimoto can be reached at lfujimoto@mauinews.com.