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PEEKSKILL, N.Y. Clergy and members of the Church of the Assumption gathered in Depew Park in Peekskill on Good Friday to re-enact the final hours of Christ's life.
The Stations of the Cross ceremony depicts the events leading up to the crucifixion and death of Jesus, which were acted out in an elaborate presentation that featured dozens of actors dressed in costumes.
"Hours and hours of work went into preparing this, not just to work out the acting part but also the technical and logistical parts," the Rev. John Higgins said of his Roman Catholic parish's undertaking.
The ceremony was performed in Spanish to accommodate the large Spanish-speaking portion of the congregation, and hundreds of people of all ages came to the park to watch.
Playing the part of Jesus was Assumption's own Rev. Vincent Druding, who said he agreed to take the role after turning it down in years past.
"They asked me around the beginning of Lent," Druding said. "I didn't answer right away, because I wanted to pray about it and talk to Father Higgins about it. I had been asked in my first year of priesthood at my other parish and said no, because I wasn't comfortable with it at the time. I already had a beard and I was a priest, so I think that's what encouraged them to ask me. I prayed about it and I felt at peace about it, because I think it can help people's faith."
Druding had to carry the cross, which was heavy enough to bring a sense of realism to the scene, he said.
"I have a completely new appreciation for what he went through," Druding said. "In the first practice I didn't really have to act, because the thing is so heavy. It's helped me a lot to understand what he meant and what he did."
Druding credited parishioner Rosanna Malaver with putting the event together over the past two months.
"She had to meet with different groups many, many times," Druding said. "They had several rehearsals and then several practices at night after work, so it was a ton of work all throughout Lent."
For more than 600 photos from Friday's event, check out out Flickr page here. For more video of the event go to our Youtube page.
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