CHARLOTTE — The faithful of the Diocese of Charlotte will have a rare chance to see the Oberammergau Passion Play as part of an 11-day pilgrimage that also includes stops in Prague and Krakow next May.
Since 1634, the play has been performed every 10 years. Starting at the time when the Black Plague was sweeping through Europe, the villagers of Oberammergau vowed to perform the Passion of Christ every decade if the town was spared from the disease. Generations of villagers have been honoring this pledge for centuries.
The Passion Play performance follows Christ from His triumphant entry into Jerusalem through His trial, crucifixion, resurrection and ascension. It is performed in an open-air stage in the Bavarian town of Oberammergau, Germany, about 60 miles from Munich.
Father Adrian Porras, pastor of St. Barnabas Church in Arden, and Dr. Frank Villaronga, diocesan director for evangelization and adult education, will lead the pilgrimage May 20-30, 2020, to see the 42nd production of the Passion Play.
“It’s a huge spectacle. The play itself is an act of faith and thanksgiving. It’s also seen as an act of worship,” Villaronga said. “The Passion will be the theme of the pilgrimage as we journey through Eastern Europe.”
More than 2,000 citizens of Oberammergau are involved in the acting, singing, music and technical support. Men grow out their hair and beards to look authentic to the time period, and costumes are handmade.
The five-hour play happens five days per week during its six-month run. The performance runs from 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. There is then a dinner break, and the play resumes at 8 p.m., until 10:30 p.m.
Some other highlights of the pilgrimage include a visit to the castle that was an inspiration for Cinderella’s Castle in Disney World, the world-famous Neuschwanstein Castle; the Marian pilgrimage shrine of Altotting, also known as the Lourdes of Germany; Auschwitz and Wadowice, the birthplace of St. John Paul II.
The pilgrimage also happens at another unique time: the celebration of the 100th anniversary of St. John Paul II’s birth. The pilgrimage includes a stop at the museum located in his family house and the church where he was baptized.
The pilgrimage will feature daily Masses and stops at many Marian sites, Villaronga said.
Villaronga, who has led several tours to the Holy Land, said he thought about adding the Passion Play to a Holy Land pilgrimage.
“Instead of visiting the place where the Passion took place and then seeing the Passion Play, this Eastern European pilgrimage will allow pilgrims to experience the play and then see how the Passion is played out in the world today,” he said.
This trip isn’t just a sight-seeing trip, it’s a pilgrimage, Villaronga stressed.
“It’s a journey taken by faith. It’s an encounter with God,” he said. “The Passion Play builds on that. In the Passion, we really celebrate the core of our salvation. Sin continues to be a reality in the world today. That’s why I wanted to make sure we visited Auschwitz. We need to see such an instance of sin in the world.”
Because of the limited number of tickets available for the play, space is limited for this pilgrimage. Those wanting to participate are encouraged to sign up early.
“We live our faith story every year at Holy Week,” Villaronga said. “We’ve seen all of this before, but not on this scale. It is not just the Passion. It is the Passion in the context of salvation history.”
— Kimberly Bender, online reporter
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Learn more and register for the pilgrimage to the Oberammergau Passion Play plus Prague and Krakow May 20-30, 2020.