Ilkeston - Good Friday & The Nail
w/e 09 April 2023
All of this week's pictures were taken with a Nikon D3300
After an enforced break caused
mainly by the pandemic, the Walk of Witness on Good Friday returned
to Ilkeston this year.
Christians from churches across the town gather in St Andrew's
Methodist Church on Wilmot Street. Posters on the door were advertising
a Ukrainian Refugee Exhibition.
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As we had arrived early, we had time before the walk to peruse
the images taken by photographer Alona Meinyk-Popova (Instagram:
@alona_meinyk_photo) of eighteen Ukrainian women, some with
their children.
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Each photo was accompanied by each woman's story written in two
languages and as it said on the poster, "Some have overcome
unexpected obstacles, while others cannot imagine that their
life will not be the same as before."
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At the prescribed time and following the cross, walkers lined
up two by two on Wilmot Street.
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The procession then turned into Bath Street to continue up the
hill to the Market Place.
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The walk continued in silence heading for the distant St Mary's
Church passing shoppers going about their daily business.
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As the front of the procession reached the Lower Market Place,
the other end of it was still a good way down Bath Street.
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There were not many other people on the Market Place as the walkers
streamed into St Mary's.
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Some Christians had already assembled in St Mary's and the pews
soon filled up with the additional walkers. The cross was then
taken down the aisle and erected in front of the alter.
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There then followed a presentation of "The Nail", based
on the Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell's invitation to ask
ourselves if we would have behaved differently in the situation
of several key witnesses in Christ's crucifixion. A time of reflection
on Good Friday ... but Sunday's coming!
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