BY: Brittany Vallely
The weather was cold and windy, but that did not stop people from coming together to celebrate Good Friday in downtown Montgomery.
The 11th annual Way of the Cross is a commemorator for the passion and death of Jesus Christ. Christians gathered at St. Peter Catholic Church to prepare for the silent march through the downtown streets and stop at the RSA Park, the State Capitol Build, the State House, and the Supreme Court building for gospel readings and meditations.
Marinella Davis, the event organizer, is originally from Italy and has been participating in the march since she was little. Davis is a part of the Catholic league movement called Community Liberation, which is where she got the idea for the event.
“It’s a way to remind the world of what happened on this day, and so we want to be a public witness of our faith,” said Davis.
According to Davis, Catholics around the world have had Way of the Cross since the middle ages and she is using the same format from that tradition. The only difference is that there are originally 14 stations- Davis says they decided to do only five.
“So, our walk through the city is a way to be a public witness of our faith and to help others remember that someone loved us so much that he died for us,” said Davis
The significance of the march is to bring awareness of some the important moments of Jesus’ walk to Calvary. This is the only Way of the Cross in the city, and the march lasts about 45 minutes.
“People who have walked with us in the past have always appreciated it—the gesture, because in a way it’s walking with Jesus,” said Davis.
One person carried a giant cross, and the group even got a police escort as they walked through the heart of Montgomery.
“There is always a great reference as we walk through the streets,” said Davis. “People stop to look around and see what’s going on, and hopefully in their hearts their thinking about what we’re doing.”
Another person also carried a speaker with a microphone so they could be heard when they stopped to read the gospel and sing hymns.
“We want people to take a minute out of their busy days just to remember what happened on this day 2,000 years ago and that Jesus died for everyone,” said Davis.
Davis also mentioned that this event was not for only Catholics, but for all Christians and other denominations.
“There’s nothing specifically Catholic about it,” said Davis. “We’re reading passages from the gospel, we’re reflecting the words of some Christian writers who mediated upon the event of Good Friday, so it’s really for everyone.”
The event was open to the public and people were allowed to join the march at any time. After they reached their last station, everyone marched back to St. Peter Catholic Church to close out.
