Happy Easter to any Catholic and non-Catholic friends.

Every Easter, the Church of the Transfiguration in Chinatown baptizes new additions to their flock of believers during the Holy Saturday vigil and mass, held in Cantonese, Mandarin and English. The historic congregation has been catering to immigrant populations since its inception in 1801 – the church was originally built by English speaking German Lutherans, but as the neighborhood changed and Protestants moved uptown to escape the notorious Five Points area, it was sold to a Catholic parish serving first Irish and later Italian immigrants.

Today’s congregation reflects Chinatown’s transformation, as an older generation of Taishanese and Cantonese speakers age or move out of the neighborhood. Father Nobiletti is an Italian-American who speaks Cantonese, while newer congregants tend to come from Fujian Province in mainland China, and attend mass in Mandarin.