Photos: Good Friday Procession of the Cross in Salt Lake City

For over 40 years, the streets of downtown Salt Lake City have served as a prayerful stage for the annual Procession of the Cross.

On Good Friday, members of the Cathedral of the Madeleine were joined by other local congregations to symbolically retrace Jesus’ final steps through the city’s heart. Participants took turns carrying a heavy wooden cross, beginning at the Cathedral and pausing for scripture and song at the First Presbyterian Church, Crossroads Urban Center and First United Methodist Church before concluding at St. Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral.

This interfaith walk transforms the urban landscape into a communal “Way of the Cross,” allowing the public to witness and participate in a shared act of devotion.

For Catholics, this procession is a physical manifestation of a day defined by deep sorrow and quiet reflection. Good Friday marks the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and is uniquely somber; it is the only day of the liturgical year when Mass is not celebrated. Instead, the faithful gather for a solemn service featuring the reading of the Passion, special intercessions for the world, and the Veneration of the Cross.

Observed as a day of fasting and abstinence, it serves as a period of spiritual “emptying,” stripping away modern distractions to focus entirely on the weight of Christ’s sacrifice for humanity.

This ritual is a significant part of “Holy Week” in Utah and is intended to be a solemn buildup to the joy of Easter Sunday. Notably, as of April 2026, the Utah Legislature has designated Good Friday as a state holiday beginning in 2027.

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