Hundreds gathered outside the Cathedral of Saint Peter-in-Chains in Peterborough on Good Friday to witness the recreation of the Passion of Christ and the 14 Stations of the Cross put on by the youth diocese of Peterborough.
“It’s a way to prepare for Easter, and we do this through the streets of downtown Peterborough.”
The actors have been working hard behind the scenes to perfect their roles and a lot of time and energy is spent on the details, such as costumes and props, to ensure the performance comes across as authentic.
“We’ve been preparing for four or five weeks now,” said Holy Cross high school student Bryan Duckworth, who played the central role of Jesus.
“We’ve been working hard preparing for this and making sure we have our lines down and ready,” he said. “I think it’s a nervous-excited feeling, but overall I think it’s going to go pretty well.”
Preparations for the event have been underway for months. As the procession rolls through the heart of the city each year on Good Friday, volunteers and local police help close off roadways as the actors perform through the streets of Peterborough.
“It’s taken a lot of discipline, but it’s been a lot of fun,” said Mary Hurley, who played the role of Mary, mother of Jesus.
Throngs of viewers followed the procession as it wove its way through downtown, across the Hunter Street bridge and into East City, where the event culminated with a mass at Immaculate Conception Church.
“Along the route, it’s not uncommon to see someone with a tear in their eye,” Cruickshank explained. “That’s kind of exciting, to know that all this effort is making a difference.”