Valparaiso faithful follow Good Friday procession

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Updated: August 4, 2011 4:20PM

VALPARAISO — Despite foul weather for most of Friday, the skies cleared in time for Gloria Dei Mission to hold its annual Good Friday procession through town.

“He answered our prayers for sure,” the Rev. Tomas Angon said to the crowd as they began the Via Crucis at Heritage Lutheran Church.

For the fifth year they walked from the center of town to the Valparaiso University Law School, acting out the Stations of the Cross.

At the school, Gerard Garcia, the Valparaiso man who played Jesus and hauled a cross through downtown was “crucified” by ropes.

Via Crucis processions are a tradition in much of the world, especially Hispanic countries, and Gloria Dei Mission, based at Immanuel Lutheran Church, shares this event to create community among Hispanic Lutherans and reach out to the public.

“Holy Week for our people is very meaningful, and Good Friday — for us — is a very big day,” Angon said. “It is nice for the church to come at least once into the community.”

Members of the community felt affected.

Serena Styburski, Maria Aguirre and Norberta Tomas stepped out of work at don Quijote restaurant to watch. Aguirre said it reminded her of home, and Styburski said it was humbling.

“To see something like this come down the street, it’s somber, as compared to reading about it or seeing a movie,” she said.

Valparaiso University students Can Yang and Linhan Li of China rushed out to see it and get pictures. Li was struck by how horrific it was.

“I just know the story, but this is very realistic,” he said.

Polly Wainman, recently moved back to Valparaiso, and walked part of the way with her kids Harrison, 7, and Stella, 4.

“I think it’s something important about Easter, to know about this rather than the Easter bunny,” she said.

Although the participants dressed as Roman guards and Aramaic crowds, the procession made modern connections.

Near Health Linc at College and Union streets, the lectors invoked Christ to be with those “with limited access to health care and with the doctors and specialists that care for the sick.”