GORDON, Pa. — People across Schuylkill County gathered on Good Friday for the Gordon Trek of the Cross. An event put on by the Simpson United Methodist Church.
Christians reenact Jesus carrying the cross during a walk through downtown Gordon.
"Gordon's a community of a lot of shut-ins, elderly people and it was a way to bring the Good Friday service to the people who couldn't make it to the church,” says Ed Labie of Girardville.
“Everybody seems to love it. They seem to come to walk for it. And we're blessed with beautiful weather usually,” adds Jeffery Nemeth from Gordon.
This is more than an annual tradition for the borough. The role of Jesus has been passed down for generations in a family from Gordon over the past 40 years.
“The town loves it. It's been in my family now since 1979 and it's going to keep on going with my son when he's big enough,” Nemeth mentions.
“I walked Barefoot too and now Jeff walks barefoot. It's all part of trying to carry on the tradition. And the thorns that Jeff is wearing are real,” Labie says.
Ed carried on his uncle's Good Friday tradition of portraying Jesus for 21 years. Walking barefoot even if it was raining or snowing.
He's now passed the torch to his cousin Jeff who's been leading christians on this trek for more than a decade.
“It's pretty somber actually, it's hard to explain what I think about.” Nemeth explains. “A lot of emotions going through. It's not what some people think it is, it means a lot to me to do it.”
More than 30 people followed Jeff on a one mile walk that began and ended on Biddle Street. And even more people crowded the sidewalks to watch.
It's one of the few events in Gordon that unites members from different congregations.
“A lot of the people that were involved in the trek over the years didn't live here and didn't belong to the churches. It was a way we celebrated Good Friday and it became such a tradition.” Labie shares.
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