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ATTLEBORO - As the sun rose early Easter Sunday, the temperature did not. But that did not stop the plans of devout worshippers from attending an ecumenical sunrise service held in Capron Park.

Sponsored by the Attleboro Area Council of Churches, the Easter sunrise service began promptly at 6 a.m., with temperatures below freezing. Those in attendance seemed to walk under the Newell Shelter in Capron Park in unison, waiting for the last moment to leave their warm cars for the start of the service.

There was good reason for the faithful to feel like they were freezing. Easter this year was actually colder than last Christmas.

Christmas saw a high temperature of 49 degrees and a low of 30, and two days before the thermometer read 61 degrees, one degree shy of a record for the date, the Attleboro Water Department reported.

Sunday's high was 48 degrees, and the low was 28, just 6 degrees above the record low for April 8 set in 1972. The gathering at Capron Park of about 60 people from various area churches stood close together under the shelter in prayer and song. Many were bundled up in winter attire: gloves, winter hats, scarves, and even some throw blankets to keep warm from the frigid temperatures.

The leader of the worship was Dorothy Embree, the executive director of the council of churches and a member of Central Congregational Church in North Attleboro. At one point during the service, Embree's face was hidden beneath a blanket, covering her body as the wind blew and the air felt much colder than it actually was.

"Are we nuts?" Embree said of the cold at one point, as laughter came from the audience.

The Rev. Carole Baker, pastor of Central Congregational Church in North Attleboro, read the gospel, and in her more than 20 years of attending the sunrise service in Capron Park, has witnessed close to 100 people in attendance in previous years. Although expectations of the turnout this year were much less than that because of the morning temperatures, Baker was "very pleased" with the amount of those who braved the cold to worship.

Sue Smith, case manager of The Homes With Heart Program and a member of Memorial Baptist Church in Seekonk, read an Easter children's story to the children in attendance as they sat on a quilt on the cold cement floor of the shelter.

The Rev. Peter Parent, pastor of Plainville United Methodist Church, gave the Easter message and opening prayer, but before he began he acknowledged the frigid atmosphere.

"This has to be the coldest in years," Parent said. "I'm not sure how long this will be, but if it stays like this it will be shorter," he said.