AUBURN - The baskets were not just filled with food. The contents - covered by flower-embroidered, immaculate white cloths or doilies - also included a deeply personal Polish Catholic tradition.

Parishioners of St. Hyacinth Church in Auburn entered the glorious sanctuary quietly, gently placing the baskets they had decorated in the aisles adjacent to the pews where they sat.

It was the morning after Good Friday. The traditional Easter basket blessing was a recognition of suffering, a prelude to the celebration of Easter Day.

“As long as I can remember, it's been going on,” said parishioner Theresa Dec, of Auburn. “The whole community takes part - including little kids with their Easter candies. When you come home and have your brunch after Easter Mass, you take all the food from the basket.”

Hard boiled eggs, cheese, butter and horseradish waited to be blessed in the basket of parishioner Harriet Jones, of Auburn. They replaced the first food she brought to the service years ago.

“It was a celebration even years ago, since I was a kid,” she said softly.

“I had a child's basket. It was filled mostly with candy.”

Looking forward to Easter, she said, “It's the biggest celebration of the year - it's bigger than Christmas.”

The Rev. Michael Brown took his place at the altar, adorned with white Easter lilies.

“Thanks for being here with all your Easter baskets, for blessing,” he said.

He then reminded of the symbolism of many of the foods - forbidden to be eaten until Easter - contained in the baskets, which bordered down both sides of the center aisle, and continued to the left and right in front of the separate pews that lined the wall just inside the entrance.

“Sausage: the links remind us of the chains of death. Eggs: hope, resurrection of Jesus from the tomb. Horseradish: bitter herbs in the original Passover meal.”

He then stepped down, entered the aisle, and blessed the baskets as he walked.

“It's nice to see them come and partake in a tradition they're all familiar with,” Brown said after the blessing. “What is special is that it allows the spiritual tradition to be brought home to their homes where they live. It's the connection of the spiritual and the family.”

The faithful had left at the point to wait for the traditional Easter Vigil Mass, held at sundown the night before Easter.

“It's the most important Mass in the Catholic Religion; the calling to mind for us the resurrection,” he said. “It is the culmination of Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Ascension.” The Mass, celebrating rebirth, often includes welcoming new members to the church with baptismal vows, communion, and confirmation.

“It's the holiest of all seasons,” Dec said. “It gives you hope, because if Jesus died and rose, if you live according to what the church teaches you, through all the good and evil in the world, you too will rise and have eternal life.”