Way of the Cross celebrations held across Chicago for Good Friday
Hundreds of Catholics in Chicago commemorated Good Friday with by observing various versions of the Way of the Cross, commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, ahead of Easter Sunday.
In the Loop, the Downtown Way of the Cross followed a cross through busy city streets as people walked in a somber procession from St. Peter's Catholic Church to Holy Name Cathedral.
Noise is the norm in the Loop, but on Good Friday, the silence stood out like a cross in a crowd.
Emily Montgomery joined the procession faith alone, not even knowing the final destination.
"The amount of people participating is pretty incredible," she said. "It looks like a profession of your faith and belief in Jesus."
Montgomery was visiting from St. Louis, and the walk among fellow Catholics was a first for her.
"It's kind of like a parade I didn't know I was going to be a part of," she said.
Organizers said the Downtown Way of the Cross attracts 300 to 600 people each year.
"We are here participating in the Way of the Cross, a day in which we commemorate and remember the day that Jesus died for the salvation of the world," said usher Christine Mayeaux. "People stop, and they say, 'What's going on?' And it's interesting, the people who will join in because they hear what we're doing."
It's a 45-minute journey through the heart of the loop.
"It's beautiful. I want to hop on one of those boats and go on a tour," Montgomery said as the procession crossed the Michigan Avenue bridge over the Chicago River.
As scenic as the trip was, the group tried to focus their gaze inward.
"It touches something deep in our humanity," Mayeaux said.
At the end of the walk, the noise of the city fades and you hear the sound of the faithful singing.
"This walk has been more than I was expecting, and it's nothing like the walk Jesus did for us," Montgomery said.
In Pilsen, the 48th annual Via Crucis: Living Way of the Cross started with a new look.
The opening scenes – the Last Supper, Jesus' prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, and Jesus before Pontius Pilate – took place outside. It's a big change from the traditional start in the basement of the Providence of God Church.
The procession then traveled down the road, ending at St. Pius Church
