A Good Friday walk through dark to light

Stations of the Cross, the ‘basis of all Christianity,’ provide time for reflection

A large crowd of churchgoers upheld a Good Friday tradition in Central Saanich on Friday to commemorate the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ by walking in His footsteps.

Anglican Parish of Central Saanich worshippers met at St. Mary’s Church at 9 a.m. and embarked on a Stations of the Cross walk along Mount Newton Cross Road en route to sister church St. Stephen’s for a prayer service.

The 14-step devotion takes the form of a miniature pilgrimage that commemorates events on the last day of Christ’s life, with participants stopping at regular intervals for prayers.

It wasn’t until the crowd had arrived at the historic Anglican church that partly sunny skies gave way to dark clouds and a short-lived downpour.

“It’s kind of appropriate,” said Rev. Robert Szo, the churches’ pastor, whose congregation took turns carrying a symbolic wooden cross.

Szo said it’s a tradition that can be put into a modern perspective. “We’ve been heavily involved in bringing refugee families into the community, and we realize we live in a world now that is topsy-turvy and broken,” he said.

“This is part of our way of witnessing to our faith and saying we are following Jesus down the road of sacrifice, so it’s an ongoing development for us.”

Andrew Evans, one of the participants, said the Stations of the Cross has tremendous personal significance for him.

“It’s the basis of all Christianity. People celebrate Christmas, but Good Friday and Easter Monday is what Christianity is based on,” said Evans, who observes another Easter weekend tradition each year.

“I’m an avid sailor, so every year at this time I go out and listen to Jesus Christ Superstar, just to get my mind into the feeling of this weekend. You have to get your mind into it to understand what’s going on.”

While his wife, Sue, took part in the walk, Dereck Atha paused for quiet reflection in St. Stephens before the congregation’s arrival.

“I’ve been doing this for many years with various churches,” said Atha, who spent 10 years at the Vancouver School of Theology and was in line to become a deacon but stepped down because of health issues.

Atha, who lives on Mayne Island and has a place in Sidney, said he and his wife often come over on Sundays and for special occasions such as this.

He has fond memories of last year’s Stations of the Cross when he and fellow walkers were joined by Bishop Logan McMenamie as part of his 480-kilometre pilgrimage from Alert Bay to Victoria.

St. Mary’s music director Cathy Quicke, who is visually impaired and plays the organ by ear, said she just read a passage that she found inspirational and would think about all weekend.

“It said there are two kinds of darkness — one where Judas Iscariot was in a very dark place, and it ended badly for him when he committed suicide,” she said.

“The darkness we walk through on Thursday and Good Friday, walking through with Christ, leads to light and truth. So, yes, it’s dark, but it needs to be dark so that you can come to the light.”