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March 29, 2009

You can take to the streets with Jesus on Good Friday

Tens of thousands of Catholics in the archdiocese annually commemorate Jesus’ passion and death on Good Friday by participating in a Via Crucis, or Way of the Cross. Many of these devotions take place outdoors and are public processions through neighborhood streets.

Here is a list of several of this year’s planned events. It’s not allinclusive so contact your parish for more information:

Communion and Liberation, a lay ecclesial movement, holds its annual Way of the Cross through downtown Chicago streets beginning at 9:30 a.m. Bishop Thomas Paprocki will lead the procession that begins in Daley Plaza, Washington and Dearborn Streets, at 9:30 a.m. The procession will stop at the Chagall Mosaic, Millennium Park, Tribune Tower Plaza and Water Tower Plaza before ending at Holy Name Cathedral in time for the 12:10 p.m. Good Friday liturgy. For more information, visit www.wayofthecrosschicago.org, e-mail info@wayofthecrosschicago. org or call (312) 804-4458.

Vicariate I: St. Thomas of Villanova, 1201 E. Anderson Dr., Palatine, (847) 358-6999 Participants will gather shortly before noon and will process from St. Thomas of Villanova to Mision San Juan Diego. The procession will take less than an hour from St. Thomas to Mision San Juan Diego, 2323 N. Wilke Rd., Arlington Heights, (847) 590- 9332

Vicariate II: St. Jerome, 1709 W. Lunt Ave., (773) 262-3170

Participants are asked to gather around noon in front of the church for the commencement of the procession around the neighborhood. The procession will begin at about 12:30 p.m. on Paulina Street going south.

Our Lady of Mercy, 4432 N. Troy St., (773) 588-2620

Participants are asked to gather at 11 a.m. for procession to Horner Park at Montrose and California. At noon, an indoor procession begins in the church for those who are not able to participate at the outside Via Crucis. At 3 p.m. the “Seven Last Words” will begin with a procession with the image of the crucified Christ.

Vicariate III: Providence of God, 717 W. 18th St., (312) 226- 2929

Procession begins at 9 a.m. and continues west on 18th Street to Harrison Park. After the reenacted crucifixion, the procession continues to St. Adalbert, 1650 W. 17th St, with Mass celebrated by Cardinal George. The procession to the park and back to St. Adalbert takes almost two hours.

Vicariate IV: St. Anthony of Padua, 1510 S. 49th Court, Cicero, (708) 717-5046

This 16th-annual Via Crucis begins at 9 a.m. and processes through the streets of Cicero. The day before, there will be a tri-lingual (English, Spanish and Lithuanian) Holy Thursday service at 7 p.m.

Vicariate V: St. Gall, 5500 S. Kedzie, (773) 737-3113

Celebration begins at 3 p.m. with the reading of the Gospel according to John. At the part that reads, “and they took him out to be crucified,” Christ appears with the two prisoners at his side. This initiates the procession that begins on 56th Street to Albany Avenue to 53rd Street to Homan Avenue, and ends at Senka Park. About 1,500 people are expected in a faith-filled environment to see this reenactment. The immigrant community in particular identify greatly with the suffering of Jesus. This Via Crucis is organized by the entire parish and is scheduled to conclude at 5:15 p.m.

Vicariate VI: St. Donatus, 1939 Union St., Blue Island, (708) 385-2890

Via Crucis begins at 3 p.m. At 7 p.m. there will be a liturgy of the Passion of the Lord with a silent procession starting at 9 p.m. Our Lady of Guadalupe, 3200 E. 91st St., (773) 768-0793.

For the past seven years, Immaculate Conception, Our Lady of Guadalupe, St. Bronislava and St. Mary Magdalene parishes have organized the Living Way of the Cross in the community of South Chicago. The Via Crucis begins at 11 a.m. from Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish, in procession singing, praying and reading the Stations of the Cross.

This year’s celebration is dedicated to praying for peace in the community, in response to the recent violence it has experienced. The bi-lingual procession will end at St. Mary Magdelene Church, 84th and Marquette Ave., (773) 768-1700.