Present-day pilgrims took to the streets of New York on Good Friday to recall Christ’s suffering and remind their fellow New Yorkers of His sacrifice.

Pax Christi Metro New York Good Friday Way of the Cross/Way of Peace
The day began with the 42nd consecutive Pax Christi Metro New York Good Friday Way of the Cross/Way of Peace.

At 8:30 a.m. at Dag Hammarskjold Plaza across from Holy Family Church in Manhattan, participants walked down Second Avenue and along 42nd Street. The more than 100 marchers stopped at 15 contemporary Stations of the Cross, where groups reflected on Jesus’ passion and modern suffering. The procession ended near Holy Cross Church, across from the Port Authority Terminal.

This year’s theme explored the question, “In a time of polarization and conflict, how do we follow the path of Jesus?” The stations addressed urgent issues, including refugees, health care, climate change, militarism, economic inequality, and reconciliation. The annual walk serves as a public act of repentance and hope.

Monsignor Kevin Sullivan, Executive Director of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York, led the group in its opening prayer before the walk began, following a cross mounted on a flatbed truck.

Good Friday 2025 Way of the Cross
Across the East River in Brooklyn, hundreds gathered at the Cathedral of St. James on a rare day of calendar coincidence: This year, the Sacred Triduum fell at the same time on both the Gregorian (Western) calendar used by Roman Catholics, and the Julian (Eastern) calendar used by the Greek Orthodox Church. To observe this opportunity for unison, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York, joined Bishop Robert J. Brennan of the Diocese of Brooklyn and His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros (Lambriniadis) of America of the Greek Orthodox Church to open the procession.

“It’s always very meaningful. And yet, this year, the occurrence of a number of things in this Jubilee year makes it all the more meaningful, perhaps even historic? We make this walk in the midst of our Jubilee Year, our Holy Year, a year which marks the great jubilee of the Nicene Creed, the creed that unites us most deeply as Christians. The creed that is rooted in the events of these days, the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This year, we are especially privileged with the sharing of the date of Easter, and it’s a great honor and privilege to welcome His Eminence, Cardinal Dolan, and His Eminence, Archbishop Elpidophoros. Eminences, you honor us by your presence here today. Friends, let us walk together with Jesus Christ on this journey,” said Bishop Brennan in his opening remarks.

“My brothers and sisters, this is what we’re about to do. We will walk with Jesus, a closer walk with Him. We’ll walk on his Via Crucis. We did it last Sunday, right? A blessing with palms. We did it last night, walking with the Most Blessed Sacrament. We did it on Monday when we lined up for the Sacrament of Penance on Reconciliation Monday. We’ll do it this afternoon as we will walk up to venerate, to kiss the wooden cross,” Cardinal Dolan said in a short reflection.

Cardinal Dolan and Archbishop Elpidophoros led hundreds of pilgrims inside the cathedral, where they read the first Station of the Cross, Jesus on the way to Calvary. The procession then moved out of the cathedral, where they were joined by hundreds more pilgrims, headed by Cardinal Dolan, Bishop Brennan, and Archbishop Elpidophoros, toward the Brooklyn Bridge. Cardinal Dolan and Archbishop Elpidophoros departed before the procession reached the bridge. It continued across the bridge and into Manhattan, ending at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine at the World Trade Center.

Some participants said the Rosary or other prayers as they crossed the bridge, while most remained silent. More than 2,000 people traversed the Brooklyn Bridge with the Way of the Cross.

Hope for unity

Father Ryan Muldoon, adjunct professor of ecumenism and interreligious dialogue at St. Joseph’s Seminary, and director of the Office of Ecumenical and Interreligious Dialogue for the Archdiocese of New York, participated in the walk. He talked to The Good Newsroom about the hope that such unison may bring about greater unity. “It’s extremely significant, especially in this year we celebrate the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea. And not only do we know that these calendars converge this year, but we see it physically here in this procession to have the leadership from the Catholic communities, and also in the Greek Orthodox. It’s incredible to see that icon of unity, you know that icons are so important, especially in the Eastern tradition, but we see in the leadership here a real icon of that unity for which we strive.”

Good weather contributed to the overall atmosphere of the walk. “It’s such a beautiful moment of tranquility, reflection with some very fine human beings. Today is a beautiful day to do this,” said a marcher who gave her name only as Anna, and said her home parish was St. Vincent Ferrer and St. Catherine of Siena in Manhattan.

Other denominations joined the march, not just Roman Catholics and Greek Orthodox. “I’m an evangelical, and these are Anglicans. There are some Baptists up there,” said a participant who gave her name only as “Linda.” “We organize every year to come and walk with this because this is visible. The church is a visible representation of Christ on earth. And the more believers in Christ gather together in one place in celebration, the more likely we are for the world to see that Christ exists.”