Aurora Catholics' commemorate 'suffering and pain of our Lord'
Like a slow-moving parade, a crowd of roughly 1,000 walked from one Catholic church to another Friday morning in Aurora, watching re-enactments of the passion and crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
Several priests and about 20 seminarians led the procession of the faithful as they commemorated Christ's last hours on Earth in the days leading up to His resurrection at Easter.
Alternating between Spanish and English, priests, seminarians and actors portrayed the 14 Stations of the Cross, from Christ's condemnation to death, through the moment his body was laid in a tomb behind a stone.
"This is one of the most beautiful days," said Monsignor Arquimedes Vallejo, pastor of Sacred Heart Church, where the walk began. "Beautiful in a sense of the suffering and pain of our Lord and the life He gave for us."
Dozens of volunteers in bright yellow or orange vests roped off the streets of the city's near East side and helped the crowd gradually walk to St. Nicholas Catholic Church a half-mile away.
Particis</a><![CDATA[ followed a pickup truck pulling a 13-person choir on a trailer. The choir, with singers and guitarists, sang in Spanish and English, sometimes alternating languages within the same song.
"Jesus, remember me, when you come into your kingdom," was one refrain as the crowd eased from the second station to the third.
The annual observance of Stations of the Cross helps Catholics pray and prepare for the most holy day of Easter when Jesus comes back to life.
After portraying Christ's condemnation to death, the stations next show Jesus beginning to carry the cross; then falling; meeting his mother; getting help carrying the cross from Simon; having his face wiped by Veronica; then falling again. The stations then re-enact Christ speaking to the women of Jerusalem; falling a third time; having his clothing taken away; being nailed to the cross; dying; being taken down from the cross; and being laid to rest in his tomb.
Vallejo encouraged the families who began their Good Friday with the outdoor stations to continue their worship with Easter services at their home parishes. "We are grateful to the Lord for this experience, for our salvation," Vallejo said. "We go in this way in prayer and through prayer."