In spite of the rain forecast for Crossett, Ark., on Good Friday 2002, Father Neil Pezzulo set up for the annual ecumenical Stations of the Cross in City Park, hopeful that at least a few people would come. Father Neil is the pastor of Glenmary’s Holy Cross Church in Crossett.

It was a school holiday, and there was plenty of activity in the park that morning: Children on the slide and swings. Boys fishing from the dock on the lake. A mother and toddler strolling toward the zoo. Everyone was curious as Father Neil, assisted by Holy Cross parishioner Ron Henley, began hanging paintings on the trees depicting Jesus’ passion and death. They were laying out a path for participants to follow if and when they arrived.

Although the event was scheduled for noon, participants began arriving early—despite the cloudy sky. A total of 32 people from six area churches gathered to continue a tradition that began in 1993 when Father George Hart of St. Mark Episcopal Church approached Glenmary Father Vic Subb, then pastor of Holy Cross, about the possibility of a combined service on Good Friday.

St. Mark and Holy Cross had been neighbors for many years with a long history of sharing activities—from parish picnics to Easter brunches. Helen Barker, a local artist and a member of the Episcopal church, had painted large scenes from Jesus’ passion and donated them to her church. So the Episcopal church could provide the images if the Catholics would provide the prayer books for the ritual.

The first year, the paintings were placed on trees in the yard of the Catholic rectory. That continued until 1996 when the two ministers thought that a more visible location, such as Crossett City Park, might attract more participants. Since that farsighted decision, the number of participants has grown each year.

In 1998 there was a heavy downpour at the time the Way of the Cross was to begin. Father Vic remembers completing the prayers sitting in his van with five others, including the ministers from the local Methodist, Presbyterian and Episcopal churches.

Another memorable year was 1999. That year a small Christian school bussed their entire student body to the park for the service.

On Good Friday 2002, Father Neil gave a brief introduction and led the group in the opening prayer. As the group moved from station to station, a volunteer led the group in song. Members from various congregations took turns with readings for the individual stations.

Patsy Darling, a member of Crossett’s First Baptist Church, attended for the first time in 2002 with her husband. “Since my church doesn’t have any service on Good Friday, I thought it would be nice to attend the service in the park,” she said. “I did not know what to expect, but I was very impressed. It’s wonderful to have this opportunity in our community.”
At the end of the service the paintings were placed in their fabric covers for storage at the Episcopal church until next year’s Good Friday ecumenical Stations of the Cross.

Eleanor Henley, a pastoral associate at Holy Cross Catholic Church, is a member of the Glenmary Challenge Planning-Review Board. Phyllis Warner is a freelance photographer in Warren, Ark.