Around 500 Catholic faithful commemorated Good Friday on April 7 with the “Way of the Cross” procession across the Brooklyn Bridge, marking the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ ahead of his resurrection on Easter Sunday.
The procession began with a prayer service at St. James Cathedral-Basilica in Downtown Brooklyn before making the journey across the iconic bridge. The procession stopped on the Brooklyn Bridge and at City Hall Park to observe the ‘Stations of the Cross’ before ending at St. Andrew’s Church in Lower Manhattan.
Symbolizing the path Jesus walked as he carried the cross before he was crucified, New York faithful have been making the spiritual journey across the Brooklyn Bridge every Good Friday since 1996, except during the pandemic.
Bishop Robert Brennan, leader of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn and a Suffolk native, said he always thought that the “Way of the Cross” in Brooklyn was very interesting.
“I’ve always wanted to be part of it,” Bishop Brennan said. “I never dreamed that I’d be making the walk myself as the Bishop of Brooklyn. So it’s very, very meaningful for me.”
He explained that Good Friday was the most solemn day for Christians.
“We recall how he took on our own sufferings and our weakness,” Bishop Brennan said. “And with a certain sense of gratitude, we try to accompany him.”
Cardinal Timothy Dolan, who attended the service at St. James Cathedral-Basilica, said that the “Stations of the Cross” were all about keeping Jesus “company during his time of need.”
“He wants people to walk with him,” Cardinal Dolan said. “All he was encountering was a lot of hate, and a lot of lies, and a lot of violence. So we need to keep him company today. That’s what the Stations of the Cross are all about.”
Jean McQuillen from Long Island attended the procession with her three friends for the second year in a row.
“I enjoyed it last year. And as a Catholic, I go to church every Sunday, and this is something important to me,” McQuillen said.
Victoria Elliot-Marcus and Steve Marcus are parishioners at St. Joseph in Queens. They said they have been walking in the ‘Way of the Cross’ for at least a decade.
Victoria Elliot-Marcus was drawn to the procession because it symbolized the spirit of the Lord and Good Friday was a day to emulate Jesus’ walk on the cross.
“Life consumes us,” Elliot-Marcus said. “We don’t take time except on Sunday. And we just feel like, as a family, this is the time for us to take time out and to honor what Christ did for us, lay down his life for us. So this is the least that we can do to have a solemn day with him.”
Patrick Martins hails from Brooklyn and has been making the trek across the Brooklyn Bridge on Good Friday for over 25 years.
He shared that his grandparents and parents instilled in him that Easter and Christmas were the most two significant holidays in the Catholic faith.
“I was born into this,” Martins said. “So I’m always looking forward to Easter and crucifixion. Jesus is resurrected and the birth of Jesus on Christmas Day.”
Martins noticed that the number of participants had dwindled since the pandemic.
“I think it changed,” Martins said. “You know, when we started there were a lot of people, but I’ve noticed after COVID, people have just stepped back.”
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