PROVIDENCE More than 800 walkers braved cool temperatures April 6 to participate in the 29th annual ecumenical Good Friday Walk to draw attention to the plight of the hungry and homeless in Rhode Island.
Participants began their mid-morning trek from nine sites, all within six miles of the State House, where they convened and held a rally. Another march was staged in Coventry, which took walkers on a ten-mile route that included stops to pray the Stations of the Cross.
"Good Friday is a symbolic day of reflection in our faith, a time to remember Jesus' walk to Calvary and crucifixion, a time to say 'no' to the culture of greed, a time to hold fast to the faith and to let the everyday things of the world fall away," said Betsy Garland, president of the Good Friday Walk.
"Good Friday is a day walkers remember all through the year," she continued. "And if Jesus can suffer and die on a cross, surely we can manage a few blisters."
"None of us has a lot [of money]," said St. Joseph Sister Ann Keefe, a member of the Good Friday Walk Board of Directors and coordinator of the walk site at St. Michael Church, Providence. "But together, we can really do something."
Sister Keefe said that while it was important for participants to garner support, it is crucial "to let people know that it's just not a one-day affair.
It just doesn't begin and end on Good Friday. It's a lifetime of care."
Garland said they hope to raise more than $50,000. Last year, the event garnered $51,000. Funds are distributed to 33 local agencies, as well as to programs in West Virginia, several Central American countries, Thailand and Laos. "We are slowly climbing up toward $100,000," she noted. Organizers hope to meet that goal next year when the religious holiday event marks its 30th anniversary.
Seventy-five percent of the funds stay in Rhode Island, said Sister Keefe. Local agencies, including many parish soup kitchens and food pantries, receive grants ranging from $250-$2500.
Sister Keefe said that workers in soup kitchens and food pantries continue to witness a significant increase in the number of families seeking assistance throughout the state. She added that often times, these people are "the working poor" who, despite holding two or more jobs, still have to decide whether to pay rent and utility bills or to put food on the table.
"It's never about them," Sister Keefe said. "It's always about their kids. Everywhere a poor family looks it's a struggle."
Father Raymond Malm, pastor of St. Michael Parish, has participated in 25 of the annual Good Friday walks. The priest joined about 200 walkers that set off from the South Providence church, led by a motorcycle escort from the Providence Police and sporting bright blue caps bearing the name of the event.
"It makes a tremendous impact locally and it helps internationally," he observed. "It's done some remarkable things in its 29 years."
St. Chretienne Sister Julie Tremblay, food manager at McAuley House, Providence, said she was walking to "drum up support for the places that help the poor. Since we moved to our new location three years ago, we've seen a marked increase in those seeking meals."
Ben Koller, a freshman at La Salle Academy, walked with his parents, sister and Buddy, the family's two year-beagle.
"We've done it for a long time," said the St. Michael parishioner. "This is Buddy's second walk. It's a good cause and it's fun."
In addition to St. Michael Church, the starting points for the Good Friday Walk were St. Anthony and St. Teresa churches, St. Martin Episcopal Church, Calvary Baptist Church, and Crossroads, all in Providence; Haven United Methodist Church, East Providence; and Smithfield Avenue Congregational Church, Pawtucket. The organization's new Web site, www.GoodFridayWalkforHungerRI.org., allows donors to make pledges throughout the year, and provides information about the disbursement of funds.
(This article originally appeared in The Providence Visitor)
