Parish in Kerala organizes 33-km Way of the Cross visiting 14 churches
George Kommattam - March 2026
In a powerful Lenten expression of prayer, penance, and Christian solidarity, a parish of the Syro-Malabar Church in Kerala organized a unique 33-kilometer Way of the Cross pilgrimage across Calicut, visiting 14 churches belonging to different Christian traditions as a symbolic gesture of empowerment, unity and community renewal.
The initiative was organized by St. Antony's Forane Church, Paroppady, under the Thamarassery Diocese, during the Lenten season as part of the parish’s 40th Friday celebration of Lent on 27 March 2026.
The participants were entirely faithful from the Paroppady parish, who undertook the pilgrimage as a prayerful outreach toward other Christian communities while seeking spiritual empowerment for Christians in Kerala. Around 500 believers - including priests, religious sisters, youth, children, and lay faithful - joined the overnight devotion, making it one of the longest parish-organized Way of the Cross processions held in Calicut city.
The pilgrimage began at 5:30 p.m. with the celebration of Holy Mass at St. Antony’s Forane Church, Paroppady. Following the Eucharistic celebration, parishioners set out on foot carrying crosses and rosaries, beginning a journey that combined physical endurance with deep spiritual reflection.
Over the course of the night, participants walked 33 kilometers, symbolically recalling the traditional earthly age of Jesus Christ. The pilgrims visited 14 churches across the city, stopping outside each church to pray one station of the Way of the Cross.
Rather than a joint denominational event, the procession was conceived as a Catholic prayer pilgrimage offered for Christian empowerment and unity. At every stop, participants gathered before churches belonging to different traditions - including Syro-Malankara, Latin Catholic, Jacobite Syrian, Orthodox, and Church of South India (CSI) communities- praying for reconciliation, mutual respect, and shared witness.
After nearly eight hours of walking, prayer, and meditation, the pilgrimage concluded at 1 a.m. with a thanksgiving Holy Mass, marking the spiritual culmination of the journey.
Parish priest Fr. Simon Kizhakkekunnel said the initiative was born from a concern about the changing realities faced by Christian communities.
“This pilgrimage was our parish’s offering for Christian empowerment,” he said. “Our community roots are slowly weakening. Once we were a strong public presence, but today migration of youth to other countries and social changes are affecting community life. Through prayer, we seek renewal.”
“Even though we walked as one Catholic community, we prayed at the doors of other churches to express fraternity, respect, and our shared faith in Christ,” he added.
Assistant vicar Fr. Geo Sunny Kadukanmakkel, who coordinated the event, said the idea emerged from a desire to combine Lenten penance with missionary outreach grounded in prayer.
“Empowerment begins with prayer,” he said. “We wanted our faithful to journey physically, make sacrifices, and spiritually intercede for all Christians. Walking together strengthened our parish community while reminding us that the Church’s mission extends beyond its own walls.”
Organizers noted that Fr. Geo Sunny’s earlier long-distance pilgrimage to the renowned Malayattoor Kurisumudi inspired the concept of extended prayer walks uniting bodily effort with spiritual renewal.
Throughout the night, participants prayed Scripture passages, sang Lenten hymns, and meditated on Christ’s passion as they moved from church to church. The physical strain of long stretches of walking, late-night fatigue, and moments of silence deepened the penitential spirit traditionally associated with Lent.
Lay participant Biju Vadakara described the experience as spiritually transformative.
“Walking such a long distance helped us reflect more deeply on Christ’s suffering,” he said. “Each church we visited reminded us that, despite differences, all Christians follow the same Lord.”
Another participant, George Vattukulam, said praying outside various churches fostered a sense of spiritual closeness among Christians.
“We may worship separately, but we share the same foundation of faith,” he said. “Standing before each church and praying for unity was a powerful experience.”
For Sherry Kuthukallel, a school teacher, the pilgrimage strengthened both personal faith and parish solidarity.
“When an entire parish walks together in prayer, faith becomes stronger,” she said. “This journey renewed our commitment to live as witnesses of hope.”
Kerala’s Christian community is known for its rich diversity of traditions and historic presence. Parish trustee Dixon Purathukaran said the pilgrimage offered a peaceful and visible witness of mutual respect among Christians while encouraging deeper spiritual renewal within the Catholic faithful.
As the procession moved through neighborhoods late into the night, many residents watched pilgrims walking prayerfully with crosses and rosaries, transforming ordinary streets into spaces of reflection and devotion.
Church members expressed hope that the initiative will become an annual Lenten practice, helping believers rediscover the values of sacrifice, prayer, and intercession for unity.
The concluding thanksgiving Mass at 1 a.m. brought the faithful back to the altar after hours of walking — a moment participants described as profoundly meaningful. Physically exhausted yet spiritually renewed, they returned home with a shared conviction that Christian empowerment begins with prayer, humility, and the willingness to walk together in faith, even when paths differ.
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