Hundreds walk in downtown Elgin for Way of the Cross

Hundreds of people were on hand outside St. Joseph Catholic Church on Division Street near downtown Elgin to take part in the Way of the Cross and Stations of the Cross walk on Good Friday.

The annual Way of the Cross wound through neighborhood streets and was followed by the Veneration of the Cross and World Communion in Church. The day was to be topped off at 8 p.m. with a Spanish Rosary at the church.

The Stations of the Cross are a primarily Catholic devotional practice that commemorates the death of Jesus Christ. There are 14 stations, each one standing for an event that occurred before Jesus' death.

During the afternoon Way of the Cross, anywhere from six to 12 people at a time carried the cross. The procession rotated people every station or two. At least five different people were doing the readings, all in Spanish.