DALTON, Ga. -- During the last four weeks, Gabriel Mejia prepared physically and spiritually for one of the most challenging and humbling experiences of his life.
For the third time, the 29-year-old played Jesus Christ during the annual re-enactment of the Stations of the Cross in St. Joseph Catholic Church, organized by the church's youth group.
"It's something very big," he said as he worked on the 100-pound cross he was about to carry.
"I can't explain with words the emotions I feel when I'm carrying the cross," he added. "(And) it doesn't get any easier."
Every year, thousands of area Catholics gather outside the steps of the church for a two-hour journey through the 14 Stations of the Cross -- where Jesus was condemned, where he met his mother, where his face was wiped by Veronica and where he was nailed to the cross, among others.
"From the earliest days of the church, people have been representing the way of the cross in many different forms," said Father Paul Williams, pastor of St. Joseph Catholic Church. "In the Middle Ages they were called passion plays, it was a devotion that sprung up spontaneously from the people to honor Christ on Good Friday and throughout Lent."
Although it is celebrated in many cultures, Mr. Williams said it's a tradition very common in Latin America and the Philippines.
In Dalton, attendance has grown about 60 percent during the last six years, organizers said. Usually between about 1,000 to 1,500 people attend, officials say.
"It's a cultural religious tradition," said Daniel Caliz, one of two narrators, originally from Puerto Rico. "We come and share that cultural identity, it's something very big."
About 50 performers, including children as young as 3, dress as townspeople, Roman soldiers, as Mary and Pontius Pilate -- the man who authorized Jesus' crucifixion.
Together with Father Juan de Dios Oliveros and two narrators -- one each for the Spanish and English versions -- they lead thousands of parishioners through each wooden cross labeled with red Roman numerals. They stop at each one for a short prayer and meditation.
"It becomes a spiritual journey that not only is a memorial of Christ carrying of the cross, but also a reflection of the meaning it has on our lives today," Father Williams said.
On Friday, many of the participants waited on the sides of the church's parking lot in order to get a better look and hundreds of colorful umbrellas decorated much of the church ground, as people tried to cover themselves from the intense sun in 80-degree temperatures.
Morgan Hurlock, 7, attended the event for the first time and said she had mixed feelings about it.
"I feel excited but also a little worried because God is my whole world and I don't like to see God get hurt," she said.
For Luisa Camacho, it's a very special day.
"It's a very sacred day," said the 64-year-old as she tried to find a way to get closer to the actors. "It's a very pleasant reminder of God, the king."
FAST FACTS
* Known as Stations of the Cross, Via Crucis and Via Dolorosa.
* The objective is to help the faithful make -- in spirit -- a pilgrimage through the chief scenes of Jesus Christ's sufferings and death.
* It is carried out by passing from station to station, with certain prayers at each and devout meditation.
* After Jesus Christ is laid down in his tomb, participants return to the temple to pray.
Source: Catholic Encyclopedia
