Way of the Cross pilgrimage from Wewala to Calvary chapel brings parishioners together (photos)

The event is one of many initiatives for Lent. Participants include catechism students. “It was a beautiful event, a good spiritual exercise to put our unity into practice as a parish," some pilgrims said.

Colombo (AsiaNews) – Members of the St Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Wewala, Archdiocese of Colombo, celebrated the Way of the Cross on Sunday at Maduruvita Calvary.

The pilgrimage, which brought together parishioners and the parish priest in a sign of faith and unity in the Church, is part of a series of events held for Lent. Participants met at 8.30 am, travelling by bus and cars to the Maduruvita Calvary.

“It was a beautiful event, a good spiritual exercise to put our unity into practice as a parish," some parishioners told AsiaNews. Catechism students and their families also joined the pilgrimage.

Fr Suranga Fernando, who teaches at the Minor Seminary of Colombo, preached at the Stations of the Cross. At the fourth station where Jesus met his Mother, he explained Mary's love for her children, the children of mankind.

"The blessed Mother is as much the mother of all of us as she is the mother of Jesus Christ. The Mother sees all our actions, our sins. She cries for all our mistakes. At this station Jesus invites us to reflect on our weakness, on our sins, on the frustrations we have in life and return to God through true repentance."

At the end of the stations, Fr Suranga celebrated Mass with Fr Mano Ranjan, parish priest in Wewala, inside the Calvary chapel.

The event ended around 3.30 pm after a meal in which participants shared the food they brought from home.

• sri lanka
• wewala
• pilgrimage
• lent
• way of the cross
• via crucis
• st francis xavier catholic church
• madurivita calvary