SAN DIEGO — On Good Friday, April 15, San Diegans will have the opportunity to attend two public celebrations of the Stations of the Cross on the streets of downtown San Diego.
Sponsored by the Diocese of San Diego, the 29th annual Walk with the Suffering will be held from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m.
During the three-hour procession, costumed students from St. Augustine High School and the Academy of Our Lady of Peace will act out the Stations of the Cross. Representatives from various organizations that serve the needy will provide prayers and reflections at nine downtown sites on issues that cause suffering in San Diego. Participants will sing hymns as they process to the various sites, beginning and ending at the San Diego Rescue Mission.
Auxiliary Bishop Ramón Bejarano will deliver a reflection on mental health for the Second Station. Dr. Robert Ehnow, director of the diocesan Office for Life, Peace and Justice, will reflect on prison ministry for the 14th Station.
“The purpose of the walk is to help us reflect and pray for those who suffer because of poverty, human trafficking, lack of access to health care, hunger, lack of affordable housing, and other issues,” explained walk coordinator Rosemary Johnston.
The 16th annual Good Friday Pro-Life Stations of the Cross will begin at noon, also in downtown San Diego.
Participants are asked to gather by 11:45 a.m. on the sidewalk on the east side of St. Joseph’s Cathedral at 4th and Beech. At noon, they will begin walking through the streets to the old Federal Building at Front Street and Broadway. They will line up along the sidewalk and courtyard for the Stations of the Cross, after which they will process back to St. Joseph’s, arriving there at about 1:15 p.m.
The event, which will be led by Bishop Bejarano, represents a strong public witness for the sanctity of life and for the Catholic faith. Signs will be provided; people may also bring their own, but no signs with graphic abortion images.
For more information about the Walk with the Suffering, call (619) 384-6852 or email jnstn.rsmry@gmail.com or mvalencia@sdcatholic.org. Free parking will be available at the San Diego Rescue Mission parking structure on Second Avenue, located across from the San Diego Rescue Mission, which is located at 120 Elm St.
For more information about the Pro-Life Stations of the Cross, email roger.lopez.home@gmail.com or mvalencia@sdcatholic.org or call (619) 818-1354. Carpooling is recommended because all parking is metered.
