Holy Friday in Città Sant'Angelo

Holy Friday is the day when Jesus was crucified and died on the cross. It follows Holy Thursday that observes the Last Supper and the prayer of Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane. On Holy Friday the air on the streets blows solemnly. Very few people around the world get a stigmata, that is natural bleeding and pain the places where Christ had crucifixion wounds.

On Holy Friday many cities in Italy have a Via Crucis, meaning the Way of the Cross. It goes through the 14 most important moments of Jesus leading him from Jerusalem to the place where he died. The tradition of doing the procession started around the 5th century when Sant Stefano, a monk of Bologna, suggested that it was a good way to recall and meditate on the Passion (suffering and death) of Christ. At that time, few people could make the journey to Jerusalem on Good Friday to see the place where Christ died. Remembering the death of Christ with a local procession gave the opportunity for all people of the town to be involved in remembering His Passion. All over Italy the cities stop to remember and respect the Via Crucis. The Pope leads the one in Rome, in smaller cities like Pescara the streets get closed off for the procession, in smaller towns the traditions are very strong. In some places in Calabria real men who interpret the role of Jesus, are beaten for the procession. Each town has something slightly different, with deep rooted historical and religious meanings.

We went to Città Sant'Angelo, a small town built on the top of a mountain in Abruzzo, to participate in their Via Crucis. As we arrived there was no where to park since so many people were going to participate. We had to drive around the city and down to the back of the city and park by the trash cans because it was so packed. By the trashcans there was a very serious meeting between the local pest control.

How many pairs of kitty eyes do you see? I see 7.

Most of the town was involved, totally closed off for driving. It is only one main street that is drivable, all other streets are too narrow for cars.

13th century old streets don't accommodate cars very well. Should they? I don't think so. People still get along well in these towns without driving up to their house, the air is cleaner, and the walk is good exercise.

I was surprised to see thousands of people there. The procession began outside the church with the priest reminding people to be respectful and keep silent if they wanted to participate. He reminded everyone participating to mediate on the passion of Christ. Then the procession lined up to walk through the main part of the city and back to the church. Red flags with a golden cross hung down from the homes of windows where the procession would walk in front of.

My pictures were all taken without flash so they might not be so viewable. The procession started with the beating of drums and funeral music being played by a marching brass band. The fourteen stations lead to the chapel where Mary is in mourning. This is a statue of Mary dressed in black as she mourns the death of her son, Jesus. Traditionally women wear a black mantilla style veil and pray next to her till the procession arrives, then Mary joins the procession carried on a small float covered in flowers.

The women in the back row are dressed in mourning with black veils. At the front, you can see Mary dressed in black.

Mary is placed on the top here and is carried by men through the procession.

At the main church, the procession march starts with three men dressed in black with black hoods, like the angel of death. The two on the side carry a symbol of death and the middle one the cross.

People gathering outside the church

"Death" passing through the streets

This one resembles the mountain where Jesus died. It is decorated with fresh wisteria and smelled so sweet. I'm glad the procession stopped for a second so I could snap a clear picture.

These guys are called "Nazarenos" and began participating in the procession representing the purity that God gives us when he forgives our sins.

 Hundreds of towns in Spain, Italy and even Scotland have the men that follow the procession in white gowns with hoods called Nazarenos after Jesus of Nazareth. They began this tradition in the 4th century. The garment, similar to the purity symbol of a wedding dress, baptismal dress or confirmation dress, literally is supposed to mean that we are given purity from our sins because of the death of Christ. They, in Città Sant'Angelo, have no clue about the KKK in America, just like we had no clue about people dressing in white hoods in Italy. Sadly, the KKK took this religious symbol of purity, from the use in the Catholic church in Scotland, and perverted it into a symbol that gives fear and terror. Although black people were the main victims of the Klan the racial hatred also grew in the 1920's against Jews, Catholics, Russians and Italians. (you can read about Anti-Italianism in the USA here). The Klan targeted Italians severely in the south but they couldn't penetrate the walls of Vineland, New Jersey where the town was 30% Italian. The Italians congregated and fought back driving the KKK out in 1933. I can't imagine how terrifying it must have been for Italian Immigrants in the US that were killed by the KKK to see men coming to kill them dressed in a white hooded robe that they, the Italians, associated with their little towns back home celebrating Christ. That is how Satan works.

Back to the procession

Firemen are involved and here they are in their bright orange uniforms carrying one of the stations of the cross.

The small altar boys walk out from the church, behind them, the body of Jesus is carried out and walks through the street.

The last person infront of the body of Jesus is the priest. It took about 8 men to carry His body here.

After the body of Jesus passes, the brass band follows playing a very melancholic tune then the people of the city can follow.

The procession is long, slow and very sad. The drums beat slow and strong (thank God my migrane evaporated before the procession!) It walks through the streets and then back to the church where Jesus will be laid. Then, for the only day in the year, the churches in all of the world are closed, locked and there is no mass on Saturday. The first mass will be on Easter morning to celebrate his Resurrection from death.