Good Friday storms fitting backdrop for Cross Veneration April 19

CHARLOTTE — Parishioners around the Diocese of Charlotte navigated through severe weather on Good Friday to attend solemn services at local churches.

Bishop Peter Jugis led the Good Friday Cross Veneration at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte April 19, noting the similarity in the harsh weather conditions on this day and the first Good Friday, the day Jesus Christ was crucified.

“This stormy weather today on this Friday of our Paschal Triduum reminds us of the day that Jesus suffered and died on the cross because on that day also there were extraordinary signs going on in the heavens, on the earth and in the heavens,” he said.

Those extraordinary signs were documented by the Gospel writers in events such as an earthquake and an eclipse of the sun.

“The Gospel writers tell us there was darkness over the whole land from about noon until three in the afternoon,” Bishop Jugis noted.

He also pointed out that the Gospel writers, when sharing the events of that great and terrible day when Jesus was crucified, that the veil in the Temple was torn from top to bottom.

“So all of this (was) signifying the end of an old era – old heavens, old earth, old sacrifices – and the beginning of a new era of the new covenant, when Jesus was making everything new,” Bishop Jugis explained.

During the liturgy held at 3 p.m., the hour Jesus Christ died on the cross, all those gathered recalled the sacrifice of God’s only begotten Son for the salvation of souls. It included the reading of the Passion, thus taking the faithful on the tortuous journey Christ suffered from the Garden of Gethsemane through His crucifixion on Golgotha.

The first reading from Isaiah, prophesied why Jesus came into the world.

“Because there is sin, and someone has to pay the price for humanity’s sins. Someone has to pay the price for this offence that has been committed against an infinite Being who is God Himself. No human being on earth would be capable of paying that price, no matter how hard they tried, because sin still remains.

So God Himself came and paid the price for dying for us.

This is what it was all for. This is why He came. For the forgiveness of sins for the remission of the sins of all humanity to open up a pathway once again between the human race and Almighty God who so desires our peace – peace of mind, peace of heart. It could only be achieved by God Himself…

During the veneration of the cross, the faithful silently approached the wooden cross containing a relic of the True Cross, showing reverence to the instrument that won them their salvation.

“We show our respect and our honor and our veneration to the cross, which of course has redeemed us,” Bishop Jugis said.

He explained in ancient times the cross was a sign of displeasure, of rejection, an instrument of execution and was shunned by everyone.

“And yet we glory in the cross, and venerate the cross and honor the cross because by the cross we have been saved!” he exclaimed.

— SueAnn Howell, Senior reporter

SALISBURY — Sacred Heart Church in Salisbury held a Bilingual Living Via on Good Friday. (Photo by Bill Washington)

CHARLOTTE —Nearly 130 attendees joined St. Ann Church and the Charlotte Latin Mass Community in marking the second day of the Latin Easter Triduum, with the ancient Good Friday Mass of the Presanctified at Charlotte Catholic High School chapel. (Photo by

FOREST CITY — Spanish community of Immaculate Conception Church performed a live reenactment of the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ on Good Friday. The event was to take place outdoors but, due to inclement weather, a modified performance was given in th

FOREST CITY — Good Friday service at Immaculate Conception Church in Forest City, began at 2:30 with the Stations of the Cross led by pastor Father Herbert Burke. It continued with the commemoration of Christ’s Passion and veneration of the cross. (Photo

CHARLOTTE — Stations of the Cross and Veneration of the Cross at St. Patrick Cathedral. (Photo provided by James Sarkis)

HUNTERSVILLE — Passion and Veneration of the Cross at St. Mark Church on Good Friday. (Photo provided by Amy Burger)

CHARLOTTE — Good Friday of the Crucifixion at St. Stephen Maronite Church in Charlotte. (Photo via Facebook)

BOONE —Divine Redeemer Church in Boone. (Photo via Facebook)

Father Matthew Codd holds the cross during a cross veneration service at St. Elizabeth Church on Good Friday. Amber Mellon

ihm (HAYESVILLE —Good Friday at Immaculate Heart of Mary. (Photo by Phil Roche) )

SYLVA — Living Stations were recently performed by the youth of St. Mary Mother of God Parish. (Photo by Della Sue Bryson)

HUNTERSVILLE — St. Mark Catholic School students perform a living presentation of the Stations of the Cross. (Photo provided by Amy Burger)

MOORESVILLE —Veneration of the Cross on Good Friday at St. Therese Church. (Ohoto by John Cosmos, provided by Father Mark Lawlor)

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Latin Easter Triduum continues

CHARLOTTE — Braving severe weather, nearly 130 attendees joined St. Ann Church and the Charlotte Latin Mass Community in marking the second day of the Latin Easter Triduum, with the ancient Good Friday Mass of the Presanctified at Charlotte Catholic High School chapel on April 19.
The liturgy, which was offered by Father Jason Barone, chaplain of Charlotte Catholic High School, began with two readings, which symbolized Christ dying for two peoples, Hebrews and Gentiles; and that He saved both parts of man – soul and body. After the readings, Father Barone chanted in Latin the Passion of Christ from the Gospel of St. John which was followed by the solemn prayers.
The second part of the ancient Mass consisted in the Adoration of the Cross by the priests, and the faithful and Holy Communion for the priest. For the laity, the Adoration of the Cross serves as the people’s “Holy Communion” for that day. Only the priest receives Holy Communion while the faithful unite themselves to the Blessed Mother and the apostles who were without Christ on Good Friday after He died on the Cross.
The Latin Triduum, which is sponsored by St. Ann Church, concludes Holy Saturday evening with the Latin Easter Vigil (8:30 p.m. at Charlotte Catholic High School).
For more information on the Latin Mass contact Chris Lauer at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit: www.charlottelatinmass.org.
—Mike FitzGerald