JEFFERSON – A large crowd of believers took part in the Jefferson Community Cross Walk, an annual Good Friday tradition in Jefferson, the evening of Friday, April 3, beginning at First Baptist Church, and moving by stations to Oakdale Cemetery.
The Rev. Kevin Phillips, pastor at First Baptist Church, commenced the solemn observance of Jesus bearing the Cross to the hill at Calvary, where he was crucified.
Beginning with a note on safety, Phillips asked the assembly to keep to right side of the road during the march in order to keep one lane clear for traffic.
The Community Cross Walk is an ecumenical observance, with the procession stopping at several stations along the route, where the leaders of several local faith communities read passages from the Gospels recounting Jesus’ torture and execution.
“This is a commitment that our local churches have together in not only celebrating Good Friday, but also giving our commitment together to the Cross of Jesus Christ and our community together,” Phillips said.
Phillips read from Mark Chapter 14, verses 66-72, where Peter twice denies Jesus after His arrest at Gethsemane.
Good Friday is a solemn Christian holy day commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary (from Latin) or Golgotha (from Aramaic).
It is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum, a three-day period beginning with the liturgy the evening of Maundy Thursday, reaching its high point in the Easter Vigil and closing with evening prayer on Easter Sunday.
In venerating the Cross, believers sometime take part in solemn, silent processions to the church or around the neighborhood, carrying a large cross.
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