Merced residents walk with Jesus during Good Friday re-enactment

Many in the crowd of more than 1,000 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church on Friday knelt as 22-year-old Roberto Manzo was left on the cross.

“En el nombre del Padre, y del Hijo, y del Espíritu Santo. Amen,” they said together in the Sign of the Cross prayer, translating to “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”

Manzo portrayed Jesus Christ in the primarily Latino church’s annual Stations of the Cross event on Good Friday, which commemorates the events of Jesus’ crucifixion. The event in Merced is more than 30 years old, organizers said.

Residents looked on as students from the Corazones Juveniles youth group at the church played the roles of Roman guards, townspeople and Jesus’ disciples.

In the hourlong re-enactment, townspeople insulted Jesus, who was whipped, kicked and forced to drag a heavy, wooden cross through the south Merced neighborhood near the church.

As the crowd moved with Jesus on his walk, they joined in song.

Some children in the crowd turned to their parents as they saw Jesus’ bloodied back, asking whether the red paint was real blood.

The yearly event was an eye-opening experience for 12-year-old Jacqueline Vargas, who came with her mother and two younger sisters to watch her older sister, Sally Vargas, participate in the re-enactment.

“It helped me understand what (Jesus) went through,” Vargas said, adding that she was saddened by how much Jesus suffered.

By seeing the Stations of the Cross each year since they were kids, Graciela Ibarra and Jesus Delgado, both 16, said the re-enactment strengthened their religious beliefs.

“Children end up seeing this when they’re little, and hopefully they learn not to take things for granted,” Ibarra said.

Luis Garcia, a 49-year-old Merced man who has seen the play the past seven years, said it helps him appreciate Jesus’ sacrifice

, adding that he never gets used to watching the graphic re-enactment.

One of the townspeople yelling at Jesus was portrayed by 13-year-old Jamie Gonzalez.

“The hardest part is yelling at our savior,” Gonzalez said.

But Gonzalez, who was nervous and excited for her first role in the re-enactment, said she felt good helping people get an idea of what Jesus’ crucifixion may have been like.

The Corazones Juveniles group practiced twice a week at the church grounds, Manzo said.

Manzo, who played Judas when he was a high school sophomore, felt honored to portray Jesus this year. Members of his family also have taken roles in the re-enactment over the years.

“It’s a blessing,” Manzo said. “It’s for our faith’s belief in Jesus Christ. He gave up his life for us. That’s our faith.”

This story was originally published March 25, 2016 at 6:18 PM with the headline "Merced residents walk with Jesus during Good Friday re-enactment."