It ended on a hill, not unlike Golgotha, where they hanged him from a cross after parading him to various Regina landmarks. They are Grade eight students from Deshaye and St. Dominic, Regina Catholic schools and their teachers, who re-enacted the route Christ was taken on His journey to the Cross. It began at 1 p.m. and ended about 3 p.m. March 23 on the hill at the east end of Regina’s Wascana Lake.
They began in the parking lot of Holy Rosary Cathedral and followed a five kilometer route that had them stop at Regina landmarks; Holy Rosary Cathedral, the Catholic School Board building, First Presbyterian Church, the Royal Saskatchewan Museum, historic buildings on College avenue one of the city’s major arteries, the CBC building then through Wascana Park to the hill near Douglas Park games fields. There the Crucifixion was re-enacted by nailing Grade eight St. Dominic student, Liam Harding, to the cross. Huge nails were hammered between Harding`s fingers enabling him to hang on when the cross was raised. The entire route was walked on sidewalks so no permit was required from the police. Miles Meyers, Catholic Education Services Coordinator for the Regina Catholic School Division, introduced each station, followed by a reading from one of the students, although Trustee Gerald Kleisinger read the prayer for the first two stops. The large group attracted a lot of attention, most noticeably at the Museum on the corner of Albert St. and College Avenue, one of the city’s busiest intersections.
A few people on the hill, runners and/or walkers who were enjoying the view of the city stopped to watch when they realized what was happening. Meyers said he was impressed when the people appeared to give some reverence to the students’ activity. After the cross was raised, Deshaye Grade eight student Sam Stawarz played ‘Were You There’ on his violin with all the students singing along. “It was quite emotional,” said Meyers. Harding was limp when they removed him from the cross. A sheet was placed over him and very reverently he was carried off. When it was done school buses returned the students to their respective school.
The idea for the re-enaction came from Matt Bresciani, a Grade eight teacher at Deshaye and Rob Csaba a Grade eight teacher from St. Dominic. The two were meeting with Meyers discussing a retreat when the idea was discussed and agreed to. “This is the first time we’ve done this,” said Meyers. It came off so well that it may be considered an annual event.
The students’ re-enactment was the only Stations of the Cross to be performed this year. What had become an annual Stations of the Cross held Good Friday through downtown Regina did not happen this year.
