4 APRIL 13 - APRIL 19, 2018 BROOKLYN MEDIA GROUP
Bay Ridge marks Good Friday with procession
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BY MEAGHAN MCGOLDRICK
MMCGOLDRICK@BROOKLYNREPORTER.COM
Parishioners young and old made
their way to Holy Cross Greek
Orthodox Church (8401 Ridge
Boulevard) in commemoration of
Greek Good Friday on April 6.
Each year, the day is marked with
a procession led by the Ridge-based
congregation.
“Obviously the Friday is a very important
religious holiday in the Greek
Orthodox calendar,” said parishioner
Sandy Vallas said last year of the
holiday, which centers around remembering
the death of Jesus Christ. “The
procession that we do at Holy Cross
is done every year and it’s done with
the help of many church organizations
and with the help of our 68th Precinct.”
This year’s gathering was no
different.
"We had wonderful participation,"
Holy Cross Parish Council President
Demetrios Kalamaras told this paper.
"It's always a bittersweet evening, but
it's a significant thing that we do. It's
a tradition we've carried over from
Greece and from Jerusalem but we had
a lovely turnout. It was a chilly night
but it was nice and clear."
Shy of the midnight celebration of
the Resurrection, Kalamaras said, the
procession is one of the parish's most
solemn commemorations.
"The priest noted in his sermon
that this is an opportunity to have
people come to the church and follow
in Christ's mission," he said. "It's all
about Christ going out amongst the
local community."
The holiday culminates on Greek
Easter Sunday.
While the largest concentration of
Greeks and Greek-Americans in New
York City can be found in Astoria,
Queens, the Fort Hamilton/Bay Ridge
area is home to a sizable amount as
well, according to demographic data.
In total, residents of Greek descent
make up about one percent of New
York City’s population.
"We're thankful and grateful to the
community that allows us to continue
to do this," Kalamaras said. "The police
were observant and very helpful. The
neighbors were very respectful. It
means a lot to us."
BROOKLYN MEDIA GROUP/Photos by Arthur de Gaeta
Scenes from this year’s Holy Cross Good Friday procession.
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