Passion of Christ reenacted on Good Friday in Paterson

Carrying a Cross, actor Stevenson Balagarin is pictured as a battered and bloody Jesus in Paterson on April 7, Good Friday, as part of a powerful and prayerful reenactment of Christ’s Passion hosted by the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. Actors portrayed Jesus’ arrest, trial, crucifixion, and death. The pilgrimage began outside the cathedral before the actors and more than 2,500 of the faithful processed through the streets of Paterson. They meditated on the Stations of the Cross, which concluded inside the cathedral. This bilingual spiritual journey recalled the suffering of Christ and the redemption of the world through the Cross. Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney participated in the procession along with Msgr. Geno Sylva, the rector of the cathedral and diocesan vicar for special projects.