On Good Friday, a Procession through Downtown Albuquerque

One of the stations in the 2012 Urban Way of the Cross"

Good Friday is just two weeks from today, and you know what that means. It's the second annual Urban Way of the Cross,  a pilgrimage through Albuquerque’s community of need and mercy, pain and hope.  As organizers put it, the procession will visit places where Jesus is being crucified today.

This pilgrimage will link stories of Jesus’ interactions with those on the margins to stories of people today whose lives are at risk—children who have been neglected or abused, elderly pushed aside, the urban poor, immigrants seeking refuge, the homeless, and people who daily make the hard choice between food and housing or health care or heat.  Bread New Mexico will offer a reflection on food insecurity.

"There’s another side to these stories—the side of those who ease the burden. Places that help the homeless, feed the hungry, welcome the stranger, nurture neglected children, or care for the elderly. The stories of those who help carry the Cross and those who wipe Jesus’ brow are also part of the Urban Way of the Cross," said organizers.

Jesus’ death on the Cross can be seen as part of his journey though life—the result of his consistent way of standing with those others ignored, hurt or persecuted, one of the consequences of the choices he made as he sided with the lowly.

Planned and led by a coalition of people from many different Christian denominations, the “Urban Way of the Cross” begins at Immaculate Conception Church (619 Copper) at 9:30 a.m. on Friday, March 29 and wends its way through downtown ending with a reception at Immaculate Conception at 11:00 a.m.  (Please note the starting time.  This is a different starting time. In the past, most Good Friday processions in Albuquerque, including last year's Urban Way of the Cross and the events hosted by the Center for Action and Contemplation, have started at Noon).