They came together by the hundreds, sharing a common faith, facing 30-degree temperatures and occasional snow flurries as they walked three miles along Baltimore streets behind a hoisted wooden cross.
Hundred of area Catholic youngsters took part in Saturday's 21st annual Youth and Young Adult Pilgrimage, as Christians around the world embarked upon Holy Week, the days leading to Easter. Archdiocese of Baltimore officials said 750 children participated in the procession from St. Mary's Park in West Baltimore to St. Casimir Church in Canton.
The morning procession passed along St. Mary Street, Druid Hill Avenue and West Centre Street before a stop at the Baltimore Basilica, where participants packed the sanctuary for Eucharistic Adoration. Other stops included War Memorial Plaza in the afternoon.
"It's a way of bearing public witness to our faith," said Archbishop William Lori, who led the procession from St. Mary's Park. "It's a way of encouraging one another in our faith, and a way of encountering Jesus right before Holy Week."
Organizers said the pilgrimage grew out of World Youth Day in Denver in 1993, which featured a similar procession. On Saturday, participants marched behind a 10-foot cross carried by youths and adults. Officials said the same cross was used in the archdiocese's first procession in 1994.
Many youngsters participated as part of their preparation for the sacrament of Confirmation. Some said they would normally spend their Saturday mornings sleeping late, watching television or playing sports, but didn't mind the trek through the city — even if they did occasionally draw stares from onlookers.
"It's nice to be out here with everybody, with people who are sharing their faith," said Sam Miller, 14, of Odenton. "I hope I gain an appreciation for my faith and hope to learn more about it and more about people who share my faith."
Olivia Davis, 14, of Pylesville said that while the weather was chilly, the pilgrimage was "a very cool experience."
"It's a little cold, but it's all right," added Sean Dougherty, another 14-year-old from Odenton.
"It's a good time for the kids to come together and get to know each other better, and to pray," said Sean's mother, Michele Dougherty, A youth minster at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Odenton, Dougherty has been taking part in the pilgrimage for 10 years.
She said the parish brought 45 youths to Saturday's pilgrimage. "They're still exploring their feelings about God and Jesus and the church," she said.
In his address at the Basilica, Lori implored youngsters to "not walk by yourself in the journey of life."
"One of the loneliest places in the world is a busy city street full of people who are strangers, people who rush about to their appointments," he said. "Sometimes we get indifferent, self-absorbed, we shove out everybody else. We think only of ourselves.
"When we do this, we also shut out the world," the archbishop said. "That's when we lose our way."