St. Patrick's Cathedral was filled to capacity with standing room only crowds. On Good Friday morning I prayed the Stations of the Cross of Pope John Paul II on Lancaster Avenue in downtown Fort Worth. The crowd gathered there received a lot of affirmation from those passing by. One of the features of Catholic liturgical and devotional life that once was important was public displays of faith and religiosity. Although neglected for many years, there is a return to these forms of devotion: such as Corpus Christi processions, the outdoor Stations of the Cross, and processions in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe on her feast day. Another devotion that was popular in many areas of the United States was the Christ the King processions (held in October when this feast was the last Sunday in October), which were sponsored by the Catholic Action movement. Later on Good Friday afternoon I participated in the "Rosary for Life" which was held in front of the Planned Parenthood headquarters near downtown Fort Worth, at which over 600 people were present to pray all of the decades of the Rosary for Life. At the Easter Vigil at the Cathedral, I baptized, received and confirmed over 40 people. The total for the entire Diocese was around 1200!
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| Bishop Vann leading the outdoor Stations of the Cross on Lancaster Street in downtown Fort Worth. Photo by Joan Kurkowski-Gillen, North Texas Catholic |
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| Photo by Joan Kurkowski-Gillen, North Texas Catholic |
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| Photo by Joan Kurkowski-Gillen, North Texas Catholic |
All of the services of Holy Week were at capacity or more. On Easter Sunday I celebrated the 8:00 AM Mass at the Cathedral, followed by 10:30 Mass also filled to capacity at St. Mary of the Assumption in downtown Fort Worth where I blessed the restored stained glass windows for the congregation. Later on in the afternoon, I celebrated Easter Sunday Mass for the Ghanian community, where Mass was celebrated in English and "Twi". Three priests from Ghana were present, and afterward the community hosted an Easter Sunday dinner. The crowds at St. Joseph in Arlington were so great that it was a challenge for those leaving and those arriving to Mass.
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| St. Mary of the Assumption Church filled to capacity in downtown Fort Worth. |
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| Bishop Vann blesses the congregation with holy water. |
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| Easter Sunday afternoon dinner with the Ghanian community, after the Mass. |
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| The traffic gridlock leaving and arriving at St. Joseph's Church in Arlington, Texas, on Easter Sunday. |