Calgary Catholics gather for Way of the Cross at St. Mary’s University

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Amid the hum of snow sweepers and close by visitors, Calgary Catholics returned to a historic custom on Good Friday at a brand new location — the second time it’s completed so in as a few years.

About 1,000 of town’s trustworthy gathered at St. Mary’s College in southeast Calgary for the two-hour Approach of the Cross procession, winding by the non-public catholic college’s campus. Regardless of the sub-zero temperatures and contemporary layer of snowfall underfoot, few complaints have been uttered between the 14 stations of the cross resulting in Jesus Christ’s crucifixion.

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The roughly two-hour procession recounted Christ’s sentencing, torture and execution, with worshipers meditating and recounting occasions from the day. The cellular operation noticed volunteers wheel round audio system on small blue wagons, whereas the choir rushed from station to station forward of the a number of hundred trustworthy attendees in tow.

The ritual is a cornerstone of Easter weekend, recognizing Christ’s loss of life previous to his resurrection on Easter Sunday.

“It’s superb how I enter into it — I discover that as I’m strolling amongst the folks, generally in silence, I’m praying, however I do know they’re praying as nicely,” Calgary Bishop William McGrattan stated after Friday’s ritual concluded.

The sombre out of doors occasion treaded new floor on Friday, the second time in as a few years it has been held at a brand new location. Final yr’s was held at Our Woman Fatima, a 27-year-old Portuguese parish within the Foothills Industrial Park.

That got here after many years of Good Fridays spent strolling by the Beltline close to St. Mary’s Cathedral, the place it had been held for the reason that late Nineteen Eighties. Approach of the Cross organizers since January have been searching for a brand new location for the occasion, which returned final yr after three consecutive cancellations because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Daryl MacDonald, the diocesan consultant for the Calgary chapter of the Knights of Columbus, stated final yr’s Approach of the Cross shifted places as a result of “we hadn’t gotten our act collectively, primarily.” MacDonald was one of many main organizers of this yr’s Approach of the Cross.

MacDonald stated they could have discovered their everlasting location at St. Mary’s, however that gained’t be determined for a while, he stated. McGrattan stated a number of folks approached him after Friday’s occasion complimenting the route, even regardless of slippery footing resulting from snow that landed in a single day.

“Possibly if this location works, we’ll take into account it,” he stated.

McGrattan informed Postmedia earlier this week the diocese hoped to have the procession again in central Calgary subsequent yr.

Good Friday is commonly a day McGrattan makes use of to mirror on occasions each shut and much from dwelling, he stated, significantly in areas experiencing heightened ranges of struggling.

“There are a lot of areas on the planet the place there’s violence and strife,” he stated. “And I feel in the present day is a day through which we must be reminded and pray for these people who find themselves going through circumstances which might be very a lot a cross, very a lot being persecuted.”

mscace@postmedia.com
X: @mattscace67

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