A Good Friday Walk for Justice
by Ann Marie Castleman, Dominican Volunteer USA
A station at the Good Friday Walk for Justice in Chicago
“Despite the dominating powers in society using silencing as a weapon . . . truth cannot be ignored.” This was the theme of the 8th Day Center for Justice’s 28th Annual Good Friday Walk for Justice through downtown Chicago. Held on a cold and snowy Good Friday in March, the walk was sponsored by various non-profit organizations, community groups, and religious congregations (including the Sinsinawa Dominicans) all committed to being voices and vehicles of change for justice within our community.
Last year I attended the walk for the first time and was inspired by the solemnity and reverence of not only the participants, but of the various organizations directly involved. Truly a modern-day Way of the Cross, each station commemorating Jesus’ journey to his crucifixion and execution is represented by a social issue. Local organizations present each station, and participants are able to reflect on how people today struggle along their journey for justice, a truly difficult path. Although there are no overtly Christian tones within the walk, as a Catholic I found the event incredibly spiritual and a beautiful reflection of what I believe was Jesus’ initial mission: to raise the social conscious regarding the unjust treatment of the marginalized and to act in a manner that seeks to be inclusive, nonhierarchical, and loving toward all.
This year, my ministry site, the Chicago Interfaith Committee on Worker Issues, was invited to plan a station, and I was honored with the responsibility of helping with that task. As an organization that advocates for low-wage and immigrant workers to address issues in the workplace, defend workers’ rights, and fight oppression, it was a good match for us to present the station about labor and workers’ rights entitled, “Helped in the Struggle.”
As the crowd gathered within the plaza outside the Board of Trade, we heard testimonies from low-wage workers being treated as inhuman capital needed to make a profit. “When you serve employers, when you produce for them, they don’t say anything. But when you are reclaiming your rights, they intimidate you or fire you.” The low-wage worker in today’s capitalistic society is seen as a commodity, a means to an end, rather than as a human being deserving of respect, fair treatment, and equitable compensation. After each testimony, the crowd responded by chanting, “Hear our voices rising up!”
The stations in the walk presented social issues ranging from poverty and racism to migration and the environment. As we processed in silence from one station to the next, I felt a sense of inner peace. I understood that the walk was a pilgrimage for many of us seeking to create systemic change and hoping to make a difference. As our collective positive energy emanated through the snowy, wet streets of downtown Chicago, I felt humbled and proud to be part of a sacred event that visibly recognizes the beauty of life and the goodness of resistance. I found myself contemplating the validity of the walk’s theme. Indeed, truth cannot be silenced.
Ann Marie is a Dominican Volunteer living with our Sisters at the House of Connections in Chicago.