After One Year Off, The Passion Returns to Calvary East L.A.

At Calvary Cemetery in East Los Angeles, Palm Sunday ranks among the most meaningful of days each year as it hosts the Passion of the Lord – reenacting Christ’s suffering and sacrifice for humanity through his death on the cross. This year’s Passion was no exception, and in fact may have held deeper meaning than most, coming after a missed year in 2024 when the main mausoleum was undergoing a series of much-needed renovations and repairs.

 
The Passion’s staying power was clear, as several hundred spectators turned out at the storied cemetery on Sunday, April 13, where some 75 performers from nearby Resurrection Church played out the climatic hours of Christ’s time on earth. Led by Msgr. John Moretta, who provided the narration, and Miguel Alfaro, who played the role of Christ, they brought to life the 2,000-year-old tale: the Son of God’s betrayal, his arrest, his trial and condemnation to death, before bearing his cross on the grueling walk to Mt. Calvary, where he was crucified between two lowly thieves.
 

A cast of Roman soldiers then took Alfaro’s limp, blood-smeared body down from the cross and carried it off to the nearby mausoleum, much as Christ himself was interned on the day we’ve come to know as Good Friday. Of course that’s not where the story ends, and before long, Alfaro emerged from the mausoleum—covered with wounds and blood but very much alive.

 On Easter Sunday—April 20 this year—Catholics across our Archdiocese will join believers around the world in celebrating that momentous ending: Christ’s triumph over death. And, they’ll recite those most cherished words of the day: “He is risen. He is risen indeed.”

-Photos David Brackney - Catholic Cemeteries & Mortuaries Community Outreach