The Stations of the Cross will begin after the blessing of the cross at 6 a.m. at the Mount Carmel Cathedral.
Mayor Juan B. Tudela said the maintenance and repair section of his office “fixed” the road headed to Tapochao to make it passable for vehicles.
The mayor’s office will also set up a tent and offer refreshments for the pilgrims who traditionally begin the hike at early dawn.
Tudela said he is expecting thousands of residents to join the annual pilgrimage.
“This is a very big event for the Catholic Church and I am inviting the community, even those on Rota and Tinian, to come and join our observance of Good Friday,” he said.
The mayor said he will be on Mt. Tapochao by 8 a.m.
Last night, all parishes observed the ritual washing of feet during the Maundy Thursday Mass.
In a statement, Fr. Ryan P. Jimenez of Mount Carmel Cathedral said “the Holy Cross is held up in our midst and we come forward one by one to do reverence with a kiss or a bow or a genuflection.”
He said today, at 5 p.m., there will be an island-wide procession, and all parishioners — except those of Santa Remedios who will have their traditional procession at 4:30 p.m. — will gather at the cathedral.
At San Vicente Church, parish priest Rey Rosal said they will reflect on Christ’s Seven Last Words.
In the evening, he said they will have a Blessing of Fire and Water outside the church to symbolize the cleansing of our sins and acknowledging God as the only light.
Rosal said despite the hardship and challenges the people are facing everyday, the community must never lose hope.
“We won’t loss hope because there is always Jesus who is our only hope,” he said.
The message of the Holy Week, he added, is God’s promise to forgive the sins of humankind unconditionally.
“We should keep our faith in Him.”
Jimenez said after the procession, the Catholic faithful are encouraged to continue fasting and praying on Black Saturday.
“This Saturday for us is like God’s rest at the end of creation. It is Christ’s repose in the tomb,” he said.
