One Thousand Pilgrims Walk Main Street Sarasota Good Friday

Sarasota’s Historical Good Friday Stations of the Cross Pilgrimage
Twenty-seven Ministers of fourteen Denominations will participate in the Good Friday, Stations of the Cross down the center of Main Street Sarasota. With four denominational Deans/Prelates participating, over 100 congregations are represented. This Good Friday, April 18, is the 24th year Sarasota will observe the worldwide Stations of the Cross tradition. What began in mid-15th century Jerusalem is now celebrated in over 200 nations on Good Friday of Holy Week. The fourteen Biblically recorded events that happened to Jesus on his way to crucifixion are remembered, Station by Station. A service booklet sharing the acts of worship corresponding to the historic, fourteen physical Stations in Jerusalem will be distributed to all pilgrims.
Everyone is invited to Walk Your Faith this Holy Week by experiencing “The Way” or “Stations of the Cross” on April 18th. In past years, the pilgrimage was confined to the north sidewalk of Main Street. Since 2011, the Sarasota Police Department escort has facilitated the procession so pilgrims can safely walk down the center of Main Street. In 2024, nearly 1,000 pilgrims participated in this three-quarters of a mile journey. Twenty-three years ago, the Sarasota Ministerial Association began to co-host the observance with The Church of The Redeemer, whose Friday Men’s Breakfast Prayer Group founded Sarasota’s observance in 1996. Then, fewer than 15 souls participated, but their prayers now bear the fruit of hundreds experiencing what has become a Sarasota ‘Happening.’
Pilgrims begin to gather at 7 a.m. and the pilgrimage starts at 7:20 a.m. in front of the Regal Hollywood movie theater, 1993 Main Street, just off Washington Blvd., 301. City Commissioner Kyle Scott Battie and Sarasota County Commissioner Thomas Knight preside over Station One, “Jesus Is Condemned To Death.” For those who would like to park at the final Station location (Church of the Redeemer at 222 S. Palm Ave.),the Siesta Trolley will transport you to Regal Hollywood from Redeemer starting at 6 a.m. The Stations of the Cross journey offers an opportunity to reflect on the different moments of Christ’s passion journey to his crucifixion in Jerusalem 2,000 years ago. Pilgrims will reach the final Station, Church of the Redeemer, at about 8:30 a.m. At that time, all are invited to attend a brief Morning Prayer Service reflecting on Good Friday inside the church.
Observe Christ’s passion on the day the world stops to celebrate it. For more information, contact Grier Ferguson, Church Of The Redeemer Episcopal Church, gferguson@redeemersarasota.org, 941-955-4263 or email the Sarasota Ministerial Association President, Rev. Dr. Tom Pfaff at ChaplainTomPfaff@Gmail.com.

Click here to watch a video of a previous pilgrimage by the Sarasota Observer: https://youtu.be/YW0JGFqUFpQ

Category: Community | Religion and Spirituality