St. Augustine's Church

Limerick, Co. Limerick

Irish Independent: Saturday, March 26, 2005

Tale of Two Cities United by a Passion for "Way of the Cross"

by Martha Kearns

HUNDREDS of worshippers gathered in the spring sunshine in Dublin's Phoenix Park yesterday to join in the annual Good Friday 'Way of the Cross' procession while a somewhat more dramatic 'walk of pain' took place in Limerick.

Roman soldiers in full costume, weeping women and a High Priest took the gospel on to the streets of the city in a unique procession around Limerick.

In Dublin, families enjoying picnics, tourists, courting couples and children with footballs tucked under their arms joined with priests and nuns to re-enact the carrying of the cross.

Organised by the Catholic movement Communion and Liberation, the group was led in prayer by Dublin Archbishop Diarmuid Martin who began his relections by praying for the head of the Catholic Church.

"We remember today Pope John Paul II, who for the first time in his Pontificate is unable to guide the Holy Week celebrations in Rome.

"We ask the Lord to give him strength in this moment of physical weakness," he said.

After reflections and some hymns, the group followed the wooden cross which was carried from the Wellington Monument at the traditional 3pm time to the Papal Cross. In silence, they made their way across the park, stopping five times to meditate at stations of the cross where reflections were read by Archbishop Martin.

He asked people to unite themselves in solidarity with all people across the world who bore their own crosses, including the Pope.

"We remember also those who bear the cross of suffering, physical and mental; the cross of anxiety and fear; the cross of frustration and meaningless in their lives; the cross of persecution and humiliation, especially those who suffer persecution because of religion," he said. "We look into our own hearts. May the cross be for us a source of healing, conversion and a new beginning." Meanwhile in Limerick, members of the public joined in the colourful procession, organised by the Augustinian Church.

Fr Liam Ryan of the Augustinians said the dramatic re-enactment was a "localised and personalised" version of the traditional Stations of the Cross ceremony on Good Friday.

The procession around the streets of Limerick stopped at eight different 'places of pain' in the city where participants paused for reflection. The first stop in the walk of pain was Limerick Prison where people were encouraged to ponder life behind bars for inmates at Easter.

Other places of pain included the Brother Russell Home, St Joseph's Psychiatric Hospital and Griffin's Undertakers.

The Augustinians always try to bring a progressive and modern approach to Limerick's traditional religious celebrations.