Thursday, 4:30 PM
Local Christians observe Good Friday with solemn services
By Globe Staff
Across the region today, Christians are marking Good Friday with processions, meditation, and the "veneration of the cross."
Archbishop Sean P. O'Malley will preside over a service at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross today in which congregants come forward to kiss a crucifix.
The tradition dates to the fourth century when the mother of the Roman emperor, Constantine, discovered what was believed to be the cross upon which Jesus was crucified in Jerusalem, according to Catholic legend. The liturgy begins at 3 p.m.
The service is one of several observations today of Good Friday, a Christian holy day that marks the death of Jesus.
This morning, Mayor Thomas M. Menino walked with members of St. Mary of the Angel Church through Roxbury. Tremont Temple Baptist Church held a service at noon to accommodate people on their lunch hour.
At 7 p.m., O'Malley will preside over a second liturgy at the cathedral in Spanish, followed by a procession throughout the South End.
In Marblehead at 8:30 p.m., the Church of St. Andrew will hold meditations on the death of Christ that will include singers, instrumentalists, and the St. Andrew Church Choir.
