“Crucifixion” by the church door. PHOTOS BY ESTHER MISA CHAVEZ/INQUIRER.net
SAN FRANCISCO, California – This city’s notorious summer noonday chill didn’t deter warmly dressed multicultural parishioners of St. Thomas More Parish from dramatizing Christ’s crucifixion on Good Friday, April 18.
The church’s pastor, Fr. Abouna Labib Kobti, surrounded by little angels in white, acolytes and deacons, read out the Stations of the Cross outdoors, as parishioners followed the tableau.
Parishioners depict the via crucis
“Pilate,” costumed centurions, townspeople, women of Jerusalem, Simon of Cyrene and “Jesus” played their parts in reenacting the passion of Christ.
Taped rumblings of an earthquake and thunderous sounds brought chills up the parishioners’ spines as “Christ” said his last words: “It is finished.”
St. Thomas More Parish serves people of many cultures — Arabs, Cambodians, Burmese, Latinos, Filipinos and many more.
Sunday Masses are alternately scheduled in English, Arabic, and Portuguese/ Brazilian. Tagalog Mass is said on the first Sunday of the month.