The Way of the Cross, held in downtown Columbus on Good Friday, brought together approximately 100 people who carry various crosses each day.
The event was sponsored by Communion & Liberation (CL), a lay movement of the Roman Catholic Church. The effort began in the Archdiocese of Milan, Italy, in the 1950s and expanded to an international movement. A local group meets weekly in the Columbus area for catechesis and discussion. CL’s founder, Servant of God Msgr. Luigi Giussani, noted that “the Way of the Cross happens in the heart of a city where millions of people carry their daily cross, most of the time, dreadfully alone.”
On Good Friday afternoon this year, individuals in various vocations – seminarians, consecrated religious and married couples – and people of all ages – men, women, children and young families pushing strollers with infants – gathered to commemorate Christ’s passion and death while carrying their crosses together.
The procession, led by Bishop Earl Fernandes, began outside Columbus St. Joseph Cathedral during the hours Christ spent crucified and made three stops downtown. The faithful processed around the city behind a large wooden cross.
Kelly Hanson, a mother of five, brought her children to the Way of the Cross. The Hanson family, who are members of Hilliard St. Brendan the Navigator Church, wanted to encounter the crucified Christ differently this year.
“We’ve never done Stations of the Cross outside,” she said. “We do Stations of the Cross at home and at school but never with the bishop, so just opening our hearts in a new way to experience Christ’s journey to Calvary.”
At each stop, or “station,” downtown, participants recited and chanted prayers, sang hymns and read reflections by Servant of God Giussani. The bishop proclaimed gospel readings of Christ’s passion and death.
The first station was held outside the cathedral.
Individuals then journeyed west and gathered along the Scioto River across from City Hall. They offered prayers and heard the story of Judas Iscariot handing Jesus over to death, recounted in the Gospel of John.
The procession continued east, marking its third station outside the steps of the Ohio Statehouse.
Participants sang a Gregorian chant and reflected on a poem by Charles Péguy (1873-1914), a French Catholic writer. His poem, “Poor Woman,” contemplates the Blessed Mother’s sorrow and suffering as she stood faithfully at the cross, not understanding yet trusting in God’s will. A reading from the Gospel of John recounted Pontius Pilate summoning and questioning Jesus while the crowd shouted, “Crucify Him!”
The faithful proceeded southeast to Columbus Holy Cross Church for the fourth station. Gathering outside of Columbus’ oldest Catholic church, the group sang a Gregorian chant, contemplated another of Péguy’s poems and read the Gospel of John’s account of Christ’s crucifixion.
Joey and Mikaela Fickes, a young married couple who are members of Columbus St. Christopher Church, were eager to participate in the Way of the Cross this year.
Mikaela had previously participated in a Stations of the Cross procession with her high school youth group at West Jefferson Ss. Simon and Jude Church. She said she wanted to participate in this year’s procession downtown.
“What better way to reflect on the Stations of the Cross (than) through an avenue like this and to evangelize by being in the streets of Columbus?” she noted.
For husband Joey, it was his first time participating in a procession like Way of the Cross.
“I’ve never experienced this before,” he said. “I love Bishop Fernandes and the reflections that he has to offer, so I was excited to come. I wanted to do something intentional and make Good Friday special.”
The Way of the Cross begins at St. Joseph Cathedral after the Good Friday liturgy.
The group returned to St. Joseph Cathedral for the fifth and final station. They prayed, contemplated and listened to the story of Christ’s death recorded in the Gospel of Mark.
The event concluded with a blessing from Bishop Fernandes. The crowd sang hymns “Were You There?” and “Lift High the Cross” outside of the cathedral steps. While it could be considered a somber ending, individuals departed with the hope of Christ’s Resurrection on Easter Sunday.
Hanson hopes that her children gained a deeper understanding of Christ’s sacrifice from the Way of the Cross.
“That they recognize how much Jesus loved them – that no matter what they do that He will always love them, and there’s no sin that’s greater than His love,” she said. “That’s my ultimate hope for them: to know why He did this for us.”