By Jessica Easthope
In a few days Joyce Peters Natter is going to be 83 โ but that’s no excuse, she still kneels before the Stations of the Cross.
“We all have to do this journey,” Peters Natter said. “It’s nothing like Christ who carried the cross for us.”
Joyce and others on the Diocese of Brooklyn’s Lenten pilgrimage made sacrifices to get to the halfway point at St. John Vianney Church in Flushing.
“Acess-A-Ride an hour and a half,” she pilgrim said.
“The B20, the Q24. You have to take the another bus and then, take the train to Archer Avenue and Sutphin and take the bus to get here,” another said.”
“It’s the number seven, but unfortunately it had some issues, so it was a little delayed,” said Lorraine Collazo.”But I made it here, and then I walked from Main Street here.”
But nothing could keep them away. Collazo says traveling is part of the commitment.
“I like figuring out how to get from place-to-place,” she said. “Should I walk?”
And these pilgrims say at a time when they’re supposed to be making sacrifices, the places they’ve seen have been a gift.
“I find the parishes are so diverse. They’re so interesting,” said Rebecca Armstrong. “Some of the music at the parishes is unbelievable. The customs and the cultures.”
“The architecture of the churches and the spiritual feeling. Once you are inside is is different,” said Aldemar Cagua.
“Experiencing the different communities, how they worship,” Collazo said. “The beauty of the churches, of course. They’re all so different.”
The Diocese of Brooklyn’s Lenten pilgrimage will eventually end โ but the spiritual journey they’re on never really does.
“That understanding of that reminder of pilgrimage that we are people in pilgrimage is very important to me,” said Lorraine.
“Through meditation or just the readings, it’s just a deeper connection with your faith,” Armstrong said.
“It’s the medicine that we Christians we need to have every day,” said Cagua. “To follow Jesus.”