It may not be your traditional Easter Sunday, but church leaders in Jim Thorpe have worked with the borough’s mayor to bring a sense of unity to the holiday.

At noon, all of the churches in Jim Thorpe will ring their church bells. Each resident is invited to walk outside or stand on his or her porch and offer a prayer and/or moment of reflection.

Mayor Michael Sofranko helped pull the idea together at a time when many in the community are missing their Sunday morning ritual.

“A lot of people have been approaching me with different ideas and they all wanted to do something to commemorate Easter,” Sofranko said. “I started calling around to the different churches and we think this is something safe and may help fill a bit of the void created with the churches closed down due to the virus.”

With social distancing guidelines in effect, churches have stopped indoor services with people in attendance. Some churches have moved services outdoors where people do not have to get out of their vehicles. A majority of them have started streaming services online so people can watch from their home.

“Jim Thorpe has a significant population who are elderly, and church, specifically the Easter Sunday service, means a lot to them,” Sofranko said.

“This isn’t going to replace that, but hopefully it can lift some spirits.”

Sofranko said each pastor may reach out to their individual congregations with further explanation.

“We’re very thankful each church was supportive in this to do something for our residents,” he said.

The idea got a positive reaction on social media, with Edie Lutsko of Lehighton and Sheila Valdez of Lansford challenging all county churches to do the same.

“If nothing else, we can all be together through the sound of the bells in our ears to our hearts,” Valdez said. “Something positive in these terrible times.”