ATLANTA—Believers will have the opportunity on Good Friday to be immersed in the Stations of the Cross in a prayer service that will hold up a mirror before their lives.

“The Good Friday Musical Presentation: The Choral Stations of the Cross” is an original piece, written by Kenneth Louis, the director of liturgy and music at Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Atlanta, the mother church of African-American Catholics in the archdiocese.

Catholics and Protestants will be united in this prayer. The service is to be held at 3 p.m. at Northside Drive Baptist Church, 3100 Northside Drive, NW, Atlanta. All are welcome. The church holds 600 people.

The sixth station in Ted DeGrazia’s Way of the Cross series shows St. Veronica’s veil awash in red. The series of 15 paintings is exhibited at the DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun in Tucson, Arizona, each Lent. DeGrazia added a 15th station on the Resurrection.
CNS photo/Nancy Wiechec

The work features contemporary music to draw the congregation into the prayer that accompanies Jesus on the day of his crucifixion, said Louis. He expects those who come to the April 14 service to leave feeling prayerful, looking toward Easter and asking how they can better fulfill Jesus’ mandate.

The musicians of the Lourdes choir and brass ensemble and lectors will lead the program.

“We wanted to host this service because Father Jeffery Ott and I believe in building bridges at a time when some want to build walls. It is an honor to host our Lady of Lourdes chorale and ensemble,” said Northside Drive Baptist senior pastor, the Rev. Dr. James Lamkin.

Father Ott, a member of the Dominican order, is pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Church.

It has long been a custom at Northside Drive Baptist Church to observe Good Friday, in addition to Maundy (or Holy) Thursday, so the uniqueness is sharing the day with the Catholic community, said Rev. Lamkin, adding he and Father Ott are committed to ecumenical and interfaith relationships.