This Good Friday is going to be special: local faith leaders are inviting the public on a free self-guided pilgrimage through Ocean Beach’s Historic Church Row.

Along the way, on Friday, April 18, participants will encounter portions of the story of Jesus Christ as he makes his way to the cross, with stations at various churches and ministries throughout the neighborhood.

This prayerful journey will be held by eight local churches working in partnership: St. Peter’s-by-the-Sea Lutheran, Westminster Presbyterian, Submerge, All Souls’ Point Loma, OB1, Point Loma Community Presbyterian, Sacred Heart, and Resurrection OB. The event is open to everyone irrespective of faith, and there’s no need to register in advance.

Pilgrims will begin at St. Peter’s, 1371 Sunset Cliffs Blvd., where they can pick up a map and may join groups departing regularly between noon and 2 p.m. The full experience will take 45 minutes to one hour. The route is about one mile and mostly flat. Transportation from Resurrection back to St. Peter’s parking lot will be available.

“We are thrilled to be participating in the Good Friday Pilgrimage with the other churches this year,” said the Rev. Karla Shaw, senior pastor at Point Loma Community Presbyterian. “Our theme at Point Loma Community Presbyterian this year as a church is choosing unity. In light of so much division and polarization in our country/world, we are constantly looking for ways to share love, not hate.

“Linking arms with our fellow faith friends is one way we can do that, especially during this holy season that is central for all of us. Unity among his followers is also the primary thing Jesus prayed for before his death. Of course, all are welcome to this experience – Christian or not.”

The Rev. Bekki Lohrmann, pastor at St. Peter’s by the Sea Lutheran Church, concurred with Shaw about the spirit of their first Good Friday Pilgrimage. “We (churches) all thought about what we might do together and we came up with this traditional stations of the cross event along Sunset Cliffs Boulevard,” she said, adding, “We’re all having different stations telling the story in interactive ways of Jesus’ journey to the cross. We’re (churches) all close by each other, and we wanted to tell this story in a way that neighbors in the community could participate.”

Lohrmann noted this inaugural event is a revival of similar events conducted in the past along OB’s Church Row. She pointed out St. Peter’s-by-the-Sea Lutheran, which has only been meeting together for a short time, was inspired by similar collaborative ecumenical efforts elsewhere. “We saw that good things happen when pastors get together, like they did over in Pacific Beach,” she said. “We wanted to show people that you don’t have to be the same (faith) to work together.”

Stasi McAteer, community engagement coordinator at Resurrection OB at 2083 Sunset Cliffs Blvd., said their church station is going to be a “multisensory, multimedia, immersive experience. We’ll have Jesus laid in the tomb,” she noted adding it was Shaw who started the ball rolling on hosting OB’s initial Good Friday pilgrimage in the modern era.

“Karla asked, ‘What is everyone doing for Good Friday?’” said McAteer. “And one of the ideas that came up was to have a spiritual experience because, though most of our denominations are different from the Roman Catholics, we all thought it would be great if we could sponsor a beautiful walk in our neighborhood given our (collective) mission here in this community is to serve it.”

The many churches of Ocean Beach have played a prominent role in the development of the community since its earliest days. Several churches originally held their meetings in tents on the beach. OB’s Church Row is a rare resource that has lasted over a century.

GOOD FRIDAY OB PILGRIMAGE WALK

The walk leaves every 15 minutes from St. Peter’s-by-the-Sea Lutheran, 1371 Sunset Cliffs Blvd.

Return shuttle from Resurrection, 2083 Sunset Cliffs Blvd., (PLCP van and Senior Center van).

Station 1: St Peter’s – Jesus is condemned, Mark 14:61-64.

Station 2: Bermuda Beach – Westminster, Jesus meets his afflicted mother, John 19:25-27.

Station 3: Masonic Center – Submerge, Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus carry his cross, Mark 15:20-22.

Station 4: Beardsley-Mitchell Funeral Home Lawn – All Soul’s, Veronica wipes the face of Jesus OR Matt 25:37-40.

Station 5: OB1 – Jesus falls a third time, Psalm 118:25-28 or Psalm 26:1-3.

Station 6: Water’s Edge – Point Loma Community Presbyterian, Jesus is nailed to the cross and dies Lk 23:33-34; 44-46, John 19:18.

Station 7: Sacred Heart – The body of Jesus is taken down, Jn 19: 33-34, 38a.

Station 8: Resurrection, Jesus is laid in the tomb, Matt 27:59-6.