DURHAM – The local Tamil community led the service March 14. Before them, it was the African American community leading the way March 7. After them, communities of local Catholics with Hispanic, Asian, European and African heritage, such the Francophone, Igbo and Swahili communities.
Each week a different community may hold the microphones, wooden crosses and candles for Stations of the Cross. Members of that community may be the ones speaking as the faithful hold programs in the pews and follow along. But the hope is for everyone to hold a common goal: overcoming racism.
Stations of the Cross: Overcoming Racism is an endeavor supported by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. It was first written in 2019 by Tom Faletti for St. Peter's Catholic Church in Washington, D.C. It was adapted by the USCCB the next year. In the Diocese of Raleigh, Holy Cross Parish in Durham is organizing the parish event, which is open to all, each Friday during Lent at 7 p.m. For those who cannot be present, the stations are streamed live. For those who wish to join and pray stations later, the recorded videos are available on YouTube.
Each week a specific community’s members help to present stations, a prominent tradition in the Catholic Church during Lent whereby the passion and death of Jesus Christ is commemorated through prayer and 14 artistic depictions, or stations, that tell the story.
Holy Cross has offered stations on Fridays during Lent and focused on programs to help overcome racism for years. It's an effort they are hoping to continue to grow in the diocese.
“What is important for us is that other communities are participating. Anyone and everyone from the diocese and beyond are welcome to any of these events,” said Kevin Green, an organizer at Holy Cross who also assists with technology. “If people don’t understand they have similarity bias there is no chance of us overcoming the sin of racism. And we for sure want to help our diocesan Catholic community to get beyond this sin.”
Editor’s note: Three remaining Stations of the Cross: Overcoming Racism events are scheduled at Holy Cross at 7 p.m. on Friday, March 28 (Asian American community will lead), Friday, April 4 (European American community, including Irish community, will lead) and Friday, April 11 (African community, including Swahili, Francophone and Igbo, will lead).
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