Living Via Crucis helps San Felipe community reflect on Christ’s Passion
WENDOVER — This year the children at San Felipe Parish in Wendover reenacted Christ’s Passion on Good Friday.
“Every parish where I have been serving I promoted the living Via Crucis with the children who participated in the faith formation programs/catechism classes,” said Father Jose Barrera, who became pastor of San Felipe in 2023.
“This is a very pastoral practice that is very important to celebrate during Holy Week,” Fr. Barrera said adding that this is a “very dynamic learning experience in which the children, their family, the catechists and the whole community participate.”
Having children participate in and reenact Christ’s Passion is important because they “get to put their creativity into action by living Christ’s Passion with their innocence,” Fr. Barrera said. “God’s kingdom belongs to the children and we can see that when they are reenacting how God gave his life for us.”
When children have the opportunity to participate in Holy Week activities as protagonists, not only as observers, “they learn and appreciate more our Catholic faith,” he added.
The community at San Felipe has been very responsive to this reenactment, he said, and this year “the boy who took the role of Jesus, Leo, is a very active kid, but when he started rehearsing in his role as Jesus he really took it to heart as a holy kid.”
The actual performance of the Via Crucis went much better than the rehearsals, said Juan Benabiedes, DRE director. “I am very excited to see all the children participating with all their hearts.”
Those attending also seemed transformed, Fr. Barrera said. “These kids helped all to reflect on Christ’s sufferings on his way to the Cross. It has been a very blessed Holy Week.”
Some parishioners told him, “What a great message of love God has given us through these children; they reflected the presence of God among us,” he said.
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