April 17, 2009
‘Sharing with other Christian churches’
An ecumenical Way of the Cross is held in Vincennes on Good Friday
Pastor Rick Grant from First Christian Church in Vincennes reads a reflection during an outdoor Way of the Cross in Vincennes. This year, Vincennes area Catholics were joined by members of the Vincennes Area Ministerial Association at the devotion. Above right, are Father Jason Gries, pastor at Sacred Heart Church, Vincennes, and St. Philip Neri Church, Bicknell, and Father Dave Fleck, pastor at St. John the Baptist and St. Vincent de Paul churches, both in Vincennes. Click for a larger version.
The Way of the Cross, long-time Catholic tradition, had an ecumenical feel to it this year in Vincennes, according to Zoe Cannon.
“Traditionally this is a Catholic devotional prayer that follows 14 Stations along Jesus’ journey from Pontius Pilate’s condemnation to His burial in the tomb. It dates back to at least the fourth century when pilgrims would travel to Jerusalem to follow in the last footsteps of Christ in His passion and death.
“This devotion spread as those who could not make the pilgrimage to Jerusalem began following Christ’s way of the cross in local shrines. The 14 Stations present the follower not with a simple representation of Christ’s passion, but a way to meditate on how Christ’s journey relates to our journey today.”
This year’s planning began as it did back in 1997 when the Catholic churches in Vincennes organized the outdoor service, she said, with area Catholics joining to “commemorate the Passion of our Lord. The difference this year was the sharing of this practice with our brothers and sisters of other Christian churches in our community.
“When the local pastors of the Vincennes Area Ministerial Association heard of the idea they were excited to participate as they had wanted to do something in the community to unit our faithful in their desire to share the word of God. There could not be a better representation of God’s love than the Stations of the Cross,” Cannon said.
Despite a prediction of 80 percent rain on Good Friday, people began to gather at noon on the steps of the Old Cathedral in downtown Vincennes.
Fourteen pastors from different churches began the one mile walk by holding hands in prayer. They were joined by at least 200 people, “ready to make the journey through the streets of Vincennes taking turns carrying the heavy wooden cross.”
The route — with 14 stops — was planned by Father Jason Gries, pastor of Sacred Heart Church, Vincennes, and St. Phil-ip Neri Church, Bicknell, and Pastor Rick Grant from First Christian Church.
Local pastors read at each station, and the city police provided escort for the crowd. “Each stop was made in the middle of the street as people stopped and passersby joined in the prayer.”
She said, “The sun never came out, but neither did the rain as the solemn procession moved forward through town and ended back on the steps of the Old Cathedral.
“In the message of the closing prayer, people left with a sense that something great had taken place in Vincennes. And it certainly had, a message of hope, not just for each person that carried the heavy cross along the way, or the pastor reading the reflection, or even the people listening, but for the whole world, the message of God’s love and forgiveness is available to us all — not just on Good Friday, but everyday if we just stop to participate and listen.”