Via Crucis in Italy: A Good Friday pilgrimage of encounter and conversion

On Good Friday evening, April 18, 2025, the faithful of Signa gathered in a solemn procession to commemorate the Passion of Christ through a deeply moving Via Crucis (Way of the Cross).

Set along the banks of the Arno River, Signa—just 12 kilometers west of Florence and about 280 kilometers north of Rome—offered a powerful backdrop for the commemoration. With its centuries-old churches and deep-rooted Catholic heritage, the town’s sacred ambiance elevated the spiritual significance of the Good Friday observance.

Led by Father Don Matteo Ambu, the candlelit procession began at 9:00 PM at the Church of St. Giovanni Battista e Lorenzo—Beata Giovanni and concluded at 11:00 PM at the Chapel of the Passionist Sisters of St. Paul of the Cross. 

The Way of the Cross united around 300 faithful from the three organizing parishes: St. Giovanni Battista e Lorenzo — Beata Giovanni, Maria in Castelo, and San Miniato.

Fr. Ambu opened the spiritual journey by quoting from the 2025 Via Crucis meditations written by Pope Francis:

“The road to Calvary passes through the streets we tread each day… Usually, Lord, we are walking in the other direction... But your eyes look into our hearts.”

He encouraged participants to allow the meditations to “touch and guide us into deeper communion with the suffering and love of Christ,” describing the pope’s reflections as “inspirational and full of surprising, heart-stirring insights.”

As the faithful moved prayerfully between the stations along the streets of Signa—surrounded by medieval architecture and gentle Tuscan hills—they reflected not only on Christ’s suffering but also on their spiritual journey of conversion and compassion.

The meditations, drawn from the heart of Pope Francis’s teaching, included powerful excerpts from his encyclicals:

From Laudato Si’ on care for creation: “‘Laudato sì, m’i’ Signore’—‘Praise be to you, my Lord.’... This sister now cries out to us because of the harm we have inflicted on her.”

From Fratelli Tutti, a reminder of Gospel-rooted fraternity: “‘Fratelli tutti.’ With these words, Saint Francis addressed his brothers and sisters and proposed to them a way of life marked by the flavor of the Gospel.”

And from Dilexit Nos, the central message of Easter love: “‘He loved us,’ Saint Paul says of Christ... to make us realize that nothing can ever ‘separate us’ from that love.”

This year’s Via Crucis, inspired by the Jubilee Year 2025 theme “Pilgrims of Hope,” called believers to step out of routine and into the transformative path of Christ—inviting them to become instruments of healing, unity, and renewed hope.

As one participant reflected, “Walking these streets in prayer, with Christ and with others, makes you realize that faith is not just something private—it’s a shared path that brings light to the world.”

At the 14th station, a deep silence filled the chapel. In that stillness, echoing the spirit of Saint Francis, the final meditation called the faithful to pause and pray for the grace of heartfelt conversion.

“We have walked the path of the Cross. We have turned toward the love from which nothing can ever separate us... Let us lift our hearts in prayer... Let us ask for the gift of a conversion that springs from love, humility, and peace.”