by Geoff Fox
People from across the Hancock area gathered in Widmeyer Park last Friday morning, April 7, to begin a Good Friday tradition of walking about a mile from Widmeyer Park to St. Peter’s Catholic Church as part of the annual multi-church Cross Walk.
On a chilly morning close to 40 people, young and old, made their way in remembrance of Jesus’ last day.
Pastors and deacons from churches in Hancock read scripture and led a reflection on each reading.
Rev. Kirk DeVore, Deacon at St. Thomas Episcopal Church, read from Matthew 26:30-56 while Rev. Steve McCarty, interim priest at St. Thomas, gave a reflection. The crowd then sang “Go to Dark Gethsemane” before departing Widmeyer Park for the Hancock United Methodist Church.
At the United Methodist Church, Rev. Becki Wissinger picked up the Scripture reading at Matthew 26: 57- 27:14. Likewise a song was sung before moving on.
This occurred at each stop – Rev. James Mason, Deacon at St. Peter’s, read and reflected at Martha’s House;
Rev. Jeff Hawbaker, Pastor at Orchard Ridge Church of God, at Civil War Heritage Park; Rev. Dr. Terry Martin- Minnich, of the Hancock Presbyterian Church, in her church’s Meditation Garden; Chaplin (Col.) (Ret.) Ron Martin-Minnich, Hancock Presbyterian Church, at St. Thomas; and Rev. Jack Lom- bardi, of St. Peter’s Catholic Church, at that church.
Along the way, volunteers from those gathered – Pat Narrango, Tony Patterson, Jamie Morris, Danny Hixon, Haeleigh Shoop, Cooper Williams, Keirra Narrango and Lucy Shaw – carried the cross from each stop.
