Well done and God bless to the young folk of Saint Mary parish in Williamston who braved the elements on Good Friday, April 18, to publicly re-enact the passion and death of Jesus Christ.
“This is a great event for the entire Catholic community because it is an eye opening first-hand experience,” said young Seth Hahnenberg who played a Roman soldier, “it gives a sense of reality to what Christ actually did for us.”
The Stations of the Cross are a traditional piety which charts 14 of the key stages of Christ’s passion upon Good Friday, from legal condemnation at the hands of Pontius Pilot to burial after being killed upon the cross.
The Williamston stations were presented by Saint Mary’s Life Teen youth group. The event took place after the parish’s Good Friday liturgy. The prayerful performance was directed by Life Teen leaders, Jordan and DJ McDowell.
"It can be a visual reminder of what Christ had to go through. It is a way to humble ourselves...and to know that Christ did this for all of us,” said Pier Giorgio Hoeppner who played Jesus.
“Though it may not be as accurate as Christ's real death on the cross, it can encourage us not to sin, because sin put Christ on that cross. 'No man has greater love than this, to lay down his life for a friend.'"
Friday's Stations of the Cross set off from the amphitheater of Williamston’s McCormick Park before progressing to the nearby parish church where the reenactment of Christ's crucifixion took place. The body of the deceased Jesus was then carried into the church for burial.
At every stage, the stations were accompanied by both a narrator and singers, all with the aim of helping those present prayerfully meditate upon each event during the passion of Our Lord.
"It draws me closer to Christ and lets me participate in a different way in Jesus' journey through his passion,” said Katherine Hogan who played Mother Mary.
