PHOTO AND VIDEO BY MARK LORENZ
Jesus, portrayed by Juan Carlos Marin, carries the cross along the Lynn Common during the annual Good Friday procession.
By LEAH DEARBORN
LYNN — It was Juan Carlos Marin’s first time playing Jesus in the annual Passion of Jesus Christ procession that set off from Lynn Common on Good Friday.
Because Jesus’ makeup takes the most time of any of the actors to apply, Marin, 19, started getting ready in a residence near the Common at 8 a.m.
Speaking as St. Joseph’s Church parishioner Marlene Lara applied skin tears and whip marks, Marin said he fasted throughout Lent as part of his preparation for the role, eating only one small meal per day. Still, he said he would do it all again.
“It means life,” said Marin in response to a question about the personal significance of Easter. “It means for us, heaven was opened.”
Preparations for the Good Friday procession, which lasts over an hour and involves nearly 140 people, began back in mid-January with practice held every weekend, said volunteer organizer Dora Garcia.
Hundreds of spectators gathered in spring sunlight for the event at the Frederick Douglass Bandstand, some clutching crucifixes or framed prints of the Virgin Mary.
Rehearsal started early Friday at St. Joseph’s Parish Hall on Union Street. Jose Deleon, 13, played one of the Roman soldiers who later arrived at the Common via a truck and followed Jesus as he carried a cross down the street.
Deleon, whose father also took part in the procession, said he was participating to get other people his age more involved with church events.
The procession has been taking place for approximately 15 years, said Garcia. For many families in the city, it’s become a tradition.
Garcia translated from Spanish for William Chavez, who was dressed in a burlap as the thief executed beside Jesus.
“First of all, I wanted to participate in this very special day. It means a lot to me and my family,” said Chavez.