The full moon shined brightly as the sun began to rise in the Sleepy Hollow sky and Reverend Jeffery Gargano, Pastor of The Reformed Church of the Tarrytowns, greeted worshipers with a handshake or a hug as he stood between two candle-lit lanterns on the steps of The Old Dutch Church.
The church was just one of many area houses of worship celebrating Easter Sunday with sunrise services. As a musician player softly strummed the strings of his guitar, Gargano spoke to those sitting in the wooden pews inside the small 315-year-old church.
"Happy Easter," he offered the congregation of about two dozen people of all ages as candles and sunlight illuminated the sanctuary. He led them out into the historic cemetery that adjoins the church and spoke of some of those buried there and their historical significance to the area and the nation.
They walked through the tombstones making several stops, including the gravesite of a recently departed member of the church before heading out to spend Easter with their families.
