Pax Christi Good Friday Stations return to the streets of Manhattan

I went to the Stations (Pax Christi, the Catholic peace organization) today; Brigid and I have gone since about 1991, but today I just went myself. It’s the first time since 2019 they have been done with the usual Stations across 42nd St; cancelled and done via zoom during the pandemic.

I was glad to go – there was a crowd which at it’s height was maybe 160 people. This compares to 700-800 when we were going in the 1990’s. The number had been dropping steadily since the early 2000’s – many have gone on to their eternal reward! But not a bad number since it’s virtually a re-boot of the event. And the crowd was much younger – good turnout of students from Cristo Rey and Fordham Prep high schools. I spoke briefly with two of the Prep teachers, both of whom know Joe, who graduated from the Prep in 2011.

The Stations are all about social justice issues and each is presented by a different group with a different topic. Some of them are excellent. (Around 2001 my church did a station – my friends John Lally and Yvonne Rivera presented – on stem cell research and the immorality of embryo research.)

Of course Manhattan is the epicenter of income inequality. And here’s some irony – Pax Christi decrying it and the background has two of the mega-rich residential skyscrapers at the south end of Central Park – Billionaires Row.

Hmmm. Old and young…