Suburbs mark Good Friday with somber processions in rainy weather
Christians across the suburbs braved the rainy conditions to take part in the traditional Good Friday processions of the cross. The walks serve as a reminder of how Jesus Christ suffered before he was ultimately crucified.
While most of the processions took place inside churches, with congregants stopping of various stations depicting how badly Jesus Christ was treated to recall the event, several congregations stage more elaborate outdoor remembrances. They reenacted the Bible's account of Christ bearing the cross on his final journey from Jerusalem to Cavalry, all the while comforting his sobbing mother, Mary.
In one of the bigger events, worshippers from St. Thomas of Villanova Church in Palatine performed their ritual starting at their church and walking to Mission San Juan Diego Catholic Church in Arlington Heights, with people taking on the roles of Jesus Christ carrying the cross, soldiers, high priests and other officials.