By MARY STADNYK
Associate Editor
UPDATED April 19, 2025
Each Good Friday for the past 25 years, the typically bustling streets of inner-city Trenton’s South Ward section, along with some of its residential side roads, become, at least for a couple of hours in the morning, quiet, holy places of prayer.
PHOTO GALLERY: El Centro’s Via Crucis Procession
With local police officials providing an escort, traffic comes to a halt, residents and business owners step outside their homes, workplaces and routines and respectfully witness the dramatic, yet sacred reenactment of the Via Crucis, or Way of the Cross on the day Christians throughout the world commemorate the Passion and Death of Jesus Christ.
Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus to carry the Cross. Mary Stadnyk photos Now marking its 25th anniversary, the Via Crucis, is a collaborative presentation by Catholic Charities’ Diocese of Trenton’s El Centro, Sacred Heart Parish and other surrounding parishes, in which the 14 Stations of the Cross are recounted.
The more than one-mile, bilingual procession began with the First Station, “Jesus is Condemned to Death” in front of Sacred Heart Church. Then as a guitar player and members of the Canticos Celestes Choir from St. Joseph Parish provided the music, the throng set out on their 1.5 mile journey to Holy Cross Church, which is also part of Sacred Heart Parish. Along the procession route they stopped at various points for the presentation of Stations. At each stop, a reflection was given on the Station being presented. Otherwise, the only sounds and dialogue that could be heard were the cracks of the flagrum, whips with several strands used to beat Jesus, and the violent commands of the soldiers. Once on the grounds of Holy Cross Church, the Stations depicting Jesus being nailed to the Cross, dying on the Cross, being taken down and placed in the tomb were reverently reenacted.
Messages of Hope
When asked why she has participated in the procession for more than 20 years, Jeanette Ramos said, “How could you not participate?”
“I love the fact that we do this every year, travel around the city of Trenton” with the hope of bringing people closer together as “we trace the steps of Jesus during the Via Crucis”
Ramos cited certain Stations of the Cross that come to mind. “Every time you fall, you have to pick yourself up and move on,” she said. She also appreciates the Station where Jesus meets his mother because a mother is called to care for her family, like Mary was there to care for her family – her son Jesus.
For Suquibe Peralta of Our Lady of the Angels Parish, participating in the procession is a way to convey to people of all faiths and those without, that Jesus died for everyone in the world out of love.
The procession travels on the street alongside the New Jersey State Prison.
The way Roberto Hernandez, El Centro’s executive director, sees it, the Good Friday procession for the past 25 years is another way for El Centro to show love to the wider community. El Centro’s mission is to provide everything from basic necessities to education and long-term development for anyone who walks through its doors. El Centro’s works include offering free assistance to pregnant women and new mothers to help them learn parenting skills for healthy child development, English as a Second Language classes, review courses for high school equivalency tests, job skills training programs, advocacy and referrals, counseling services, case management, health and eye screenings, anger management classes, citizenship classes, rental and utility assistance and clothing and food.
Hernandez urged the people involved with the procession to be mindful of the love that Jesus had for them.
“Think about what Jesus gave up for us,” Hernandez said, then asked the participants to think about how they would react if they were in Jesus’ place.
“He knew he would be crucified but he didn’t run away. He stayed,” Hernandez said.
When greeting the participants at the start of the procession, Msgr. Dennis Apoldite, pastor of Sacred Heart Parish and episcopal vicar of Mercer County, reminded them of who they might see as they traveled the streets of Trenton.
“You’re going to pass by many places,” he said, stating that they are likely to encounter families who are in their homes celebrating life; the homeless; single mothers who are working hard to support their children; store employees; beggars on street corners, and prostitutes looking to earn some money.
“The common phrase to keep in mind is that God loves each one of them,” Msgr. Apoldite said, “and they will see you and you will represent Jesus Christ to them.
“As a group, you represent God’s love and you could make their streets holy,” Msgr. Apoldite said. “Today, we remember Christ’s Crucifixion but if we wait patiently, we will experience the joys of the great ‘Alleluias’ we’ll sing on Easter Sunday. Thank you for being Jesus Christ to our city today.”
Jesus meets his mother on his way to Calvary.