New Haven Independent

The annual Way of the Cross procession commemorates Jesus Christ’s journey carrying his cross to his own crucifixion. Friday’s procession of over 200people, led by a cross-bearing parishioner, traveled at a stately pace through neighborhoods and along Grand Avenue, bringing Fair Haveners out of their homes and businesses to watch.

The Way of the Cross paused every block to observe another station of the cross. Prayers were offered and a description of the next stage of Christ’s journey was read aloud in Spanish. There were also prepared readings calling for action to address contemporary problems, from violence and racism to sexual abuse and environmental destruction.

Click on the play arrows to view a slide show of the event.

A new cross-bearer was appointed at each station and over the course of the two-hour procession the cross was carried by men and women young and old.

It was a chilly day, with strong winds, and the church singers that accompanied the procession wore heavy jackets under their red robes. They sang somber songs amplified by microphones connected to the accompanying pickup truck, which held a generator and loudspeakers.

The Way of the Cross is a central part of the activities undertaken in observation of the church’s three holiest days of the year, known as the Triduum or the Triduo Pascual, in Spanish. The church celebrated with an evening commemoration of the last supper on Holy Thursday, the Way of the Cross and a mass on Good Friday, and an Easter vigil on Saturday.