Back in Chicago, Spike Lee attends Easter Mass at St. Sabina

Film director Spike Lee celebrated Easter Mass on Sunday at St. Sabina Catholic Church on the South Side with the Rev. Michael Pfleger, friends from the making of Lee’s movie “Chi-Raq.”

“I want to just first welcome back our member from Brooklyn, my friend who I love so much,” Pfleger said as he opened his homily by recognizing Lee as a part of the congregation.

“There’s a whole lot of people in in the world, but then there’s some real people in the world who never lost their conscience or their heart or their passion for truth and for justice and for excellence,” Pfleger said. “I call him the ‘conscience of Hollywood.’ Spike Lee, stand up. Come on, put your hands together for ‘The Spike!’ ”

Lee, who sat in a fourth-row pew, stood briefly and waved to the congregation that packed the church for the 11:15 a.m. service.

Before communion was offered, Lee and Pfleger embraced in a prayer circle on the altar.

The pair became close when they combined their voices to denounce gun violence two years ago when Lee roamed Chicago’s neighborhoods to film “Chi-Raq.”

A character in the movie — an inner-city priest played by actor John Cusack — was based on Pfleger.