As always, glad I went. It’s a great public display of Faith, as we trek across Manhattan.
However – when I first started going, in the early 90’s, there would be 800 – 900 people. Yesterday, at the height, only about 275. By the time we reached the end there were maybe (optimistically) 200 people.
On the good side, it was a relatively balanced group, age-wise. Some of the Catholic high Schools are starting to get small contingents out. For example, Fordham Prep (Joe’s alma mater) had about ten and they did a Station on healthcare. Dr. Carney, from their religion department, promotes the event. And Marymount School had a great Station on human trafficking, while Christo Rey School did the last Station with the theme of fighting violence with non-violence. Excellent. And as always, some of the Stations were pretty forgettable. Nobody bats 1,000.
Missing is any mention of the crucial life issues. Nothing on abortion or assisted suicide/euthanasia, and nothing on the death penalty (which usually is mentioned). No surprise.
Anyway, I love the public aspect of the event, especially when you have the powers-that-be insisting they support religious freedom, as long as it’s kept to one hour a week and stays within the church/synagogue/mosque.
Stations are led from this truck.
Here’s Fordham Prep – Dr. Carney and two students on healthcare.
The three girls from Marymount School – this was an excellent meditation on human trafficking
There’s that truck! Moving on from the two Stations in Times Square.
This is from the top of the stairs at one of the theaters, looking down. That’s just about the whole crowd. You can just see the Cross at the front –
Three more Fordham Prep boys.
And the last Station (the 15th; sometimes the Resurrection is added) with three students from Christo Rey, on non-violence in the face of violence.
On the subject of numbers; as I was walking and bemoaning to myself the small turnout, I did realize that while we used to have 5 to 7 participants from my own church, this year I was the only one. Brigid decided not to go at the last minute for a couple of reasons. so it’s the old recruitment story; if everyone who attended this year brings one person next year, you go from 275 to 550. And the year after that, 1,100. Etc.
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