Christ is Alive - Cathedral Celebration 2026

Half an hour into the Cathedral celebration, one of our team members approached me, slightly startled, and said, “We have a problem! One of the cathedral employees is threatening to call the police if we don’t stop people from coming into the Cathedral.” I quickly rushed back to assess the situation and discovered that the Cathedral had reached full capacity—yet people were still arriving, hoping to come in.

One of my daughters, who had been tasked with manning the doors, later said to me, “It’s a church—it feels wrong to close the doors and not allow people to come in!” Her words captured the tension of the moment beautifully.
Thankfully, I was able to smooth things over, and the situation was resolved without any further escalation. But in truth, it was a “good problem” to have. After the celebration, we began brainstorming ways to better manage such a response in the future. One of the sound engineers suggested setting up a large screen outside the Cathedral so those unable to enter could still participate. When I shared the idea with the cathedral staff, they were very enthusiastic. The next day, a major newspaper featured an article on the celebration, there was a comment from someone who had attended but couldn’t get in, suggesting almost the exact same solution—adding a screen, along with a tent and seating for next year.
Psalm 133 reminds us that where there is unity, the Lord commands His blessing. On that Saturday night, we experienced both in abundance.

Months of preparation went into the celebration. Sébastien led the effort alongside a trusted and diverse team: Georgette and Alexandre, two Protestant pastors; Fr. Alexis, a Catholic priest; and Andrea, a Lutheran lay minister. We heard powerful testimonies from Carol, a Catholic nun, and Edgar, an Ugandan missionary-pastor based in Geneva.
The worship reflected the same spirit of unity. Two Protestant choirs joined together for the occasion, alongside ECHO, a younger collective of worshippers from various evangelical churches. Harp and flute interludes provided moments of quiet reflection, and Rebekah sang a new song written especially for the event by our friend Hannu, with French lyrics by Eléonore, titled “Voici l’Agneau” (“Behold the Lamb”).

This marked our seventh year hosting an ecumenical Easter celebration. In the coming weeks, we look forward to gathering with the leaders to debrief and discern how the Lord will continue to guide this growing movement of unity within the Church in Geneva.