By Peter G. Sánchez
Staff Writer
ATCO— Braving the wind and cold on a solemn evening, hundreds gathered at Christ the Redeemer Parish the evening of April 15 for the 40th annual Living Stations of the Cross.
Held on Good Friday, the tradition chronicles Jesus’ Passion, Death and burial, encompassing his entrance into Jerusalem, the Last Supper, his agony in the Garden of Gethsemane and his Crucifixion. The story is told with costumed actors, elaborate sets, lighting, spiritual narration and music.
“It’s an opportunity to give thanks to Christ for all that he’s done for us,” says Deacon Bob Iuliucci of Berlin’s Saint Simon Stock Parish, who has directed the re-enactment for 15 years and been involved in its production for 25.
Iuliucci has seen firsthand the faith and dedication of the 100-plus cast and crew who work diligently from February to Good Friday to make the event possible. For many, it’s a family affair involving generations, and Iuliucci is no exception. His son, Robbie, played Saint James this year, and for the first time, his seven year-old grandson, D.J., had a part – as a member of the crowd.
Held for the first time since 2019 due to the pandemic, this year’s event added Atco’s nearby Methodist and Presbyterian communities to the cast.
“Let’s jump in.” These were the words Pastor Robyn Clark, from Atco United Methodist Church, said when she and her congregation were asked to participate. She and her husband, Danny, both played crowds people.
“We should all be unified, especially after COVID,” she says, adding that “all of us are journeying together this week, in unity. We all believe in one God.”
The hour-long program held outside Assumption Church, a parish worship site, shone a spotlight on Jesus and the other figures prominent in the Passion story: Peter, Veronica, Mary Magdalene and Pontius Pilate.
Portraying the last of these was Father Joseph Wallace, who was witnessing and participating in the production for the first time, as he arrived last summer as pastor.
“When you are present and witnessing it [the Passion] with other people, it touches you in a different way,” he says.
Father Wallace admitted his initial reluctance at portraying Pontius Pilate, saying he changed his mind after thinking of how Pilate’s actions can mirror our own today. “Reflecting on it, I thought, ‘Haven’t we all, through our sins, [condemned Jesus] like Pilate?’”
In the audience were friends Chrissy Iadanza and Mary Peyerl, longtime attendees of the Living Stations.
“The first time I came, I saw [the crucified] Jesus in Mary’s arms, and I started bawling,” Iadanza says, adding that she hasn’t missed a performance in 25 years.
“I connected with her as a mother,” with her sorrow at seeing the suffering of her child, she says. Her own son, Philip, had a role in a past performance as one of the guards. This year, her daughter, Lisa Marie Larusso, accompanied her to the event.
Peyerl and her family, like Iadanza’s, have a long history with the Atco program.
“I’ve been coming since it started, and all of my children have learned from it,” Peyerl says.
As well, she admits to grabbing tissues during the evening. “It makes me cry. You understand why he died for us,” love and mercy, she says.
Nearing the play’s conclusion, the stone is rolled in front of the tomb, the lights go down, and the narrator asks the audience what character from the story they will continue to live their lives like. Pilate – gifted with power but using it irresponsibly? Veronica – showing compassion and care for the suffering? Mary Magdalene – a repentant sinner shown mercy and now a fervent follower of Christ?
As all await Jesus’ Resurrection, the narrator concludes, everyone can be a light in the darkness. “His work begins again tonight, in each one of us.”
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