Heidi Hernandez would not let anything keep her from walking along New Hampshire Avenue yesterday to watch a procession depicting the 14 Stations of the Cross. Not the rain. Not the three-mile trek. Not even work.
Hernandez, 22, took the day off from her job as a real estate agent to participate in the longtime Christian tradition of bringing the Stations of the Cross -- Jesus Christ's march to the Crucifixion -- to the streets on Good Friday.
Crystal Reyes, playing the mother of Jesus, watches the reenactment of the Crucifixion as part of the Stations of the Cross procession.
(Andrea Bruce Woodall -- The Washington Post)
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"It's our custom," she said in Spanish as she walked with her sister and cousins, all from El Salvador. "We have to remember that Jesus died for our sins. We all have the same belief, and we support each other."
Hundreds of Christians took to the streets of Montgomery County's heavily Latino neighborhoods to make the four-hour journey from Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church in Takoma Park to St. Camillus Church in Silver Spring. At each stop, or station, they watched, prayed and sang as a parishioner dressed as Jesus and four dressed as Roman soldiers reenacted Jesus's walk to his death, performing on the back of a flatbed truck. Not far behind the truck was a van with speakers to ensure that the prayers and songs, mostly in Spanish, could be heard blocks away.
"When Jesus comes, when Jesus comes, he'll find us united," they sang in Spanish.
Theirs was one of many processions across the Washington region yesterday, but officials from the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington said it was the largest. Organizers estimated that as many as 2,000 people participated.
"It's like a celebration, a fiesta, for the Hispanic community," said Brother Julian Jagudilla, a Franciscan friar and one of the organizers. "It's very important. It's like [they're] reliving their cultures, religions, traditions and practices from the countries they come from."
Fathers carried their children on their shoulders to get a better view of Jesus. Many took photos or videotaped the reenactment. Several walked arm in arm. A handful got so emotional that they passed out.
Betty Torres, a 47-year-old bus driver for the Montgomery school system, has been participating in the event, which began in 1972, since the 1980s, shortly after she emigrated from El Salvador. Back then, she said, there were about 200 people involved, and they didn't stray far from St. Camillus. Each year, she has seen an increase in the number of participants, which she attributes to the county's growing Hispanic population.
"In the beginning, it was a small thing," she said. "Now, it's so big."
They walked past a Pizza Hut, 7-Eleven and Pollo Campero, carrying umbrellas with pictures of Puerto Rican flags, Barbie dolls and soccer balls, among other images. At times, they veered off New Hampshire Avenue and walked through some of the area's apartment complexes, accompanied by police cars. Several residents peered out their windows, some with cameras. Others abandoned what they were doing and joined the procession. Still others took advantage of the crowds of people and sold bottled water and plastic sandwich bags filled with mango slices.
Not all the participants were Hispanic.
Erly Pierre, a Haitian immigrant who lives in Silver Spring, said she doesn't mind that the event is conducted mostly in Spanish.
"God is only one God," she said. "He'll listen to everything we say, no matter what language."
Pierre has made a family tradition of the Silver Spring procession, walking in it for years with her two daughters, son and husband. The family planned to end the day with a dinner of fried fish, rice, beets and beans.
"When we're eating, we watch a God movie," said her 9-year-old daughter Francia, who wore a cap that read "Jesus is my Boss."
Etienne Anani, a computer engineer who lives in Hyattsville, walked with his 5-year-old son. Although he grew up in Africa and speaks French, Anani said he was happy to commemorate the day with the area's Hispanic community.
"This is very important because it brings the community together," he said, "behind one single person."
