Way of the Cross, an approximately two-hour walk commemorating Christ’s Passion and death, returned to Columbus this year on Good Friday, April 3.
Bishop Earl Fernandes led the walk downtown, which departed from Columbus St. Joseph Cathedral at 2 p.m. Clergy, consecrated religious and laity were invited to witness to the suffering and ultimate victory Christ secured through His death on a wooden cross.
The event, sponsored by Communion & Liberation (CL), a lay movement of the Roman Catholic Church, originated in the Archdiocese of Milan, Italy. CL was founded by Servant of God Msgr. Luigi Giussani, a priest and educator, and expanded internationally.
The first Way of the Cross was held in 1950s-Italy. The event continues to take place each year on Good Friday in various locations.
Dr. Holly Peterson, assistant superintendent for academics at the diocesan Office of Catholic Schools, has been part of the organization for four decades. She became acquainted with CL during a post-college trip to Italy in her early twenties.
“I was really attracted to just their – not so much fun, but – … behavior, their way of staying together, their way of friendship,” she recounted. “Fast forward 40 years later, here I am deeply involved with Communion and Liberation. Pretty much my adult life has been within this companionship of CL.”
Peterson was one of the first in the United States to belong to the Italian order.
“We were responsible for the beginning of everything – the beginning of not just the Way of the Cross but the beginning of translation of Father Giussani’s books,” she recalled.
In 2026, the movement continues uniting Catholics to follow Christ with the companionship of its members. Way of the Cross is a signature event of the movement.
Msgr. Giussani often hosted retreats for his students during the Easter Triduum (Holy Thursday to Easter Sunday). On Good Friday, the young adults would imitate Christ’s way of the cross.
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The annual walk includes several stops with recitation of gospel readings, poetry and songs. Bishop Fernandes led reflections along the walk in Columbus.
The Way of the Cross is typically a couple of hours in length and includes five stations. For Msgr. Giussani and his students, it was often miles in duration and a day-long event.
The journey is traditionally walked silently and a time of prayerful reflection.
“It’s kind of a paradigm for life that we walk together in silence following the cross, following the Church, following Christ,” Peterson added.
Hosting the event in a public and prominent place is by design. Participants intend to be witnesses and attract the attention of passersby.
“It’s never in a building or hidden away. It’s a public way of the cross,” Peterson emphasized.
“We do it in the heart of downtown because that’s where people carry their crosses, their burdens, the most. That’s where we work. We want to be present to where people carry the biggest crosses.
“For us here in Columbus, that’s where the homeless population is, underhoused population, those who are challenged by life the most. We think of the statehouse being right here, … people who bear the burden of fighting for justice.”
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Members of CL meet weekly for catechesis in “school of community” groups. Each community engages in acts of charity.
Members regularly organize various events, establishing a presence in society and dialoging with individuals they encounter. The organization’s works flow from pillars of culture, mission and charity.
This year’s Way of the Cross in Columbus intended to move hearts, and Peterson added, witness to the day’s sacredness.
“Last year there was a family that was getting out of their cars. We were passing by, and they all got on their knees, so they clearly knew that there was something going on,” she recalled.
“The lawnmowers usually stop. People take their hats off. There’s a real reverence, … the fact that there’s a cross.”