Large Numbers Walk the Nine Churches on Good Friday

Posted April 15, 2017 / Last updated April 19, 2017

Helping to direct the crowds on Good Friday were campus minster Peter Flores ’09, members of student ministry Peter Carr, John Nuttli, and Chris Ross, and long-time historian of the Nine Churches Walk Brandon Briscoe ’98.

As members of the Jesuit High School community enter into the holiest time of the Church’s calendar, some 250 students, alumni, and friends of Jesuit came together early on Good Friday morning to “walk the nine churches.”

View the Nine Churches Walk Photo Gallery

Although the origins of the Nine Churches Walk remain obscure – and debate surrounding the origins is a feature of every journey on Good Friday – the mystery did nothing to dampen the spirits of Catholics seeking to enter into the suffering of Christ on the day that celebrates his way of the cross and crucifixion.

In addition to being one of the two full fast days in the liturgical year, Good Friday is also an opportunity to pray the stations of the cross or to attend the Service of the Lord’s Passion in the afternoon as part of the liturgy of the Paschal Triduum. The Jesuit walking group prayed one or two of the stations at each Church along the six mile route.

Another prominent feature of the walking pilgrimage was the starkness of the sanctuary found in each church. No matter how many times people do the walk, it is a common experience to find oneself dipping a hand into an empty holy water font or genuflecting before an empty tabernacle. The altar is stripped, and statues are covered. No Mass is said anywhere in the world on Good Friday. The combination of the absence of sacred images and objects as well as fasting from food reminds Catholics through their senses of the emptiness felt as Christ is taken away in death.

Beginning on Napoleon Ave. at St. Stephen’s Church, the route followed the bend in the river through uptown to the CBD and French Quarter, ending at the Jesuit Church of the Immaculate Conception on Baronne St. The Jesuit Church is next the original site of Jesuit High School, which was called the College of the Immaculate Conception in its time at that location.

Brandon Briscoe ’98 returned for another year of giving brief histories of each church upon arrival. The group would then pray the Stations of the Cross, broken up over the course of the walk. Fr. Kevin Dyer, S.J. Jesuit’s chaplain, led the prayers at the beginning of each station, and members of Student Ministry read the mediation for each station. Peter Flores ’09 was responsible for keeping the group together along the way.

Jesuit High School wishes everyone with whom it shares the mission of Catholic formation in the City of New Orleans a most blessed Easter.

Galleries

Nine Churches Walk, April 14, 2017

St. Stephen's Church on Napoleon is the first church along the route of the Nine Churches Walk.
The large group gathers outside St. Stephen's to hear the rules of pilgrimage and instructions for the day.
Brandon Briscoe '98, regular historian on the Nine Churches Walk, gives the history of St. Stephen's Church.
Jesuit senior Reed Meric reads the meditation for the first station.
St. Henry's is the second stop on the Nine Churches Walk.
The crowd gathers in front of St. Henry's to hear the history and pray the station...
...then went inside for silent prayer.
On the front of the altar in St. Henry's is the seal designed for the Eucharistic Congress in the 1930s by Oscar Rabensteiner '36, who also designed the Jesuit High School seal.
Construction on Louisiana Ave. can't keep the group away from Our Lady of Good Counsel Church.
The group nearly filled the whole church at Our Lady of Good Counsel.
Junior Ben Finicle leads the group in the fourth station.
Junior John Nuttli then continues with the fifth station.
The group follows along in prayer.
The next stop is a dual church stop at St. Mary's Assumption (pictured here) and St. Alphonsus across the street.
Brandon Briscoe explains the significance of the street corner which once featured three Catholic churches.
Junior Ryan Guillot leads the sixth station.
The group spends moments in prayer before the magnificent high altar at St. Mary's Assumption...
...and are able to venerate the crucifix steps outside the sanctuary.
St. Alphonsus Church across the street is not open for regular use, but allows visitors on Good Friday an other special occasions.
Fr. Kevin Dyer, S.J., gathers the group back together for the station after a break between churches.
Brandon Briscoe gives a brief history of St. Alphonsus.
Next, the group files down the sidewalk of the neutral ground along Camp Street...
...to wind up at St. Theresa of Avila Church.
Senior John Kling leads the station at St. Theresa.
Students, alumni, family, and friends of Jesuit pile out the church at St. Theresa.
After crossing the interstate, the group arrives at the seventh church, St. Patrick's.
The crowd fills the sidewalk for the history...
...and tenth station, led by senior Jack Quaglino.
Campus Minister Peter Flores '09, juniors Peter Carr, John Nuttli, and Chris Ross, and Brandon Briscoe ;98
St. Louis Cathedral is the second to last stop on the route.
Since the noon Stations of the Cross is still taking place in the cathedral, the group gathers in the garden behind the cathedral.
Brandon Briscoe, who continues to serve as a guide for the cathedral, outlines key moments in the history of the church in New Orleans on this spot.
The final stop of the pilgrimage is the home church of Jesuit High School, the Church of the Immaculate Conception on Baronne St.
The group gathers for the last two stations and history inside the beautiful church.