As they slowly marched down NW 2nd Avenue, bishops, deacons and other clergy people from St. Mary’s Cathedral led the crowd in prayers — “Our Father” and “Hail Mary” — and sang songs in English, Creole and Spanish to accommodate the multi-lingual crowd. Some Miami residents joined in on the holy procession, and some watched from the porch of their Little River home as they mouthed the words to the song “Were you there when they crucified my Lord?”
A part of the traditional Good Friday service, the “Veneration of the Cross” is a holy ritual dating back to the fourth century, where many Catholics and some Christians take time to reflect on what the cross means to them. Each of the fourteen stations of the cross represents a different moment in the story of Jesus’ death, and it’s customary to pray and meditate at each milestone.
Parishioner Caritas Eglite and her husband David drove from Fort Myers to experience the Holy Week events at St. Mary’s.
“Almost everybody knows us,” said Eglite. She and her husband, who carried the Haitian flag during the procession, joined the church in 1981 and were members years before they moved.
Among the attendees was Paul Spalding, the 64th Scoutmasters Camporee Chief, and his scouts from Troupe 80 of the Boy Scouts of America. The troupe, which included boys and girls, was there to distribute water bottles to thirsty church folk during the march.
“That’s the beauty of this … Father Marino supports the program even though they’re not all from St. Mary’s,” said Spalding, referring to the Cathedral of St. Mary’s Reverend Christopher B. Marino.
Spalding, who is only the second African American to hold this title for the South Florida Council, said community service is a part of the responsibility of a scout.
“I try to teach the scouts that they have to be active in giving back to the community,” he said.
During the service, Archbishop Thomas Wenski spoke about the “hardness of one’s heart,” referring to when people lean into a life of sin or go “lukewarm” on their commitment to their faith.
“Sometimes we build a wall around our hearts to keep God out,” Wenski said. “We can also build a wall to keep God in.”
Good Friday, a day of fasting and abstinence for Catholics, is also the only day of the year when Mass is not celebrated. It’s a day, rather, that’s dedicated to sharing the story of Jesus’ sacrifice and suffering.
The continuation of Holy Week masses will commence at the Cathedral of Saint Mary in Little River, which is the Mother Church of the Catholic Archdiocese of Miami.
Here’s a look inside this year’s Good Friday service at St Mary’s Cathedral:
This story was produced with financial support from Trish and Dan Bell and from donors comprising the South Florida Jewish and Muslim Communities, in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners. The Miami Herald maintains full editorial control of this work.