Miguel Correa of Mundelein plays the role of Jesus during the Via Crucis, or Living Stations of the Cross, at Santa Maria del Popolo Parish in Mundelein on Good Friday.
Steve Lundy/slundy@dailyherald.com
Some suburban Catholic churches marked Good Friday with a Spanish-language drama.
Common throughout Mexico, the Via Crucis - or Living Stations of the Cross - depicts the final hours of Jesus' life.
Via Crucis once again this year spanned a little more than a half-mile from two churches in Palatine and Arlington Heights.
Actors and worshippers started at St. Thomas of Villanova Parish in Palatine and walked east on Anderson Drive, under Route 53 and then a bit north to where the solemn procession ended at Mision San Juan Diego on Wilke Road.
Via Crucis was held indoors at Santa Maria del Popolo Parish in Mundelein, where about 1,300 worshippers typically view the production. Santa Maria permanently moved its Via Crucis presentation inside in 2006 because of previous problems with poor weather.
Our Lady of Guadalupe in Des Plaines also held a Via Crucis performance. Other churches, including St. Alexander in Villa Park and Mary Queen of Heaven in Elmhurst, conducted similar processions in English.
St. Joseph Catholic Church near downtown Elgin organized a Stations of the Cross event for children in the parking lot next to the church on Division Street, followed by a Living Stations of the Cross event making it's way through neighborhood streets.
"Nobody plays Jesus," explained Daniel Catalan, 25, who was dressed as a Roman soldier who marched beside a huge wooden cross that was carried by the crowd. "Everyone must carry their own cross."
Images: Good Friday in the Suburbs of Chicago
Santa Maria del Popolo Parish in Mundelein was among the churches that marked Good Friday with a Spanish-language drama. Miguel Correa, of Mundelein, plays the role of Jesus during Via Crucis or Living Stations of the Cross.
Steve Lundy/slundy@dailyherald.com
Parishioners at Santa Maria del Popolo Catholic Church try to get a better look during Good Friday's Via Crucis or Living Stations of the Cross.
Steve Lundy/slundy@dailyherald.com
Miguel Correa of Mundelein portrayed Jesus being crucified during Good Friday's Via Crucis, or Living Stations of the Cross, at Santa Maria del Popolo Parish in Mundelein.
Steve Lundy/slundy@dailyherald.com
Bob Chwedyk/bchwedyk@dailyherald.comJesus, played by Adan Cervantes, is scourged by Roman soldiers during the annual Living Stations of the Cross procession from St. Thomas of Villanova in Palatine to Mision San Juan Diego in Arlington Heights on Good Friday.
John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.comHundreds follow a huge wooden cross being carried on Division St. in Elgin during a Living Stations of the Cross on Good Friday, supported by St. Joseph Catholic Church.
Bev Horne/bhorne@dailyherald.comBrendan McArdle, left and Patrick Tretinan, right, of St. Alexander Church, carry the cross for the annual Stations of the Cross in Villa Park on Friday. For McArdle this is the 18th year of carrying the cross. "I love it", he said. "I want to keep doing this as long as I can".