The New Lenox Ministerial Association Good Friday Cross Walk has been around a long time.

How long?

That’s a tough question to answer. There is no official record so guesswork and memories are the best options at this point.

Lincolnway Christian Church Pastor Steve Baker, who helped organize this year’s walk, wasn’t sure when the first steps were taken.

“It’s been going on longer than I know,” he said. “It’s been going on forever.”

Maryann Matysac of New Lenox, who brought nine family members with her on the walk, said she’s attended for 30 years, so that’s not a bad guess.

But 81-year-old Jeanie Scherer of New Lenox is convinced that it started 47 years ago.

“My son (Ralph) helped carry the cross when he was 15,” she said. “He’s 62 now. I can’t do the math.”

She might not do the math, but she can remember that it was the first walk. She said Sister Madelyn Gould of St. Jude initiated the project of getting the churches and community together for a walk and it took off from there.

No matter when it started, hundreds of people joined together on a cloudy Friday morning with temperatures in the 70s, sang hymns and listened to passion narratives at St. Jude, United Methodist Church of New Lenox, Maplewood Cemetery and Trinity Lutheran Church.

Other participating churches were Grace Episcopal, St. John’s Orthodox, New Life and Peace Lutheran.

Baker said the walk attracts 400 to 500 people each year.

“Seeing the community come together is awesome,” Baker said. “In past towns I’ve been to, I haven’t seen the churches working together like this. It’s pretty cool to see the Catholic churches working with the Protestants churches and the Lutherans — it’s just a beautiful community event.”

Matysac and her family have made the walk a tradition, which started when she walked it with her father, the late Victor Magero. He was able to walk it into his 90s.

She said every Good Friday, she remembers her dad and the family lunch that followed prepared by her mother, Virginia.

On Friday, Matysac, her husband, Patrick, two daughters-in-law and six grandchildren from New Lenox and Glen Ellyn were headed to a Barraco’s restaurant for some meatless pizza after the walk.

The meatless part, a Catholic tradition on Fridays during Lent, caused some sour faces with some of the grandchildren, although one was looking forward to putting pineapple on her pizza.

Maryann enjoys the yearly tradition of people from different churches getting together.

“I like that we visit other churches,” she said. “We encounter other people from other religions and we see how they worship. We all come together as a community to commemorate the passion.”

She members what the walk was like 30 years ago.

“When I started walking with my dad, there were only 30 or 40 people,” she said. “It has grown exponentially through the years.”

Scherer also noticed the growth and said she has only missed a few walks.

“I love the idea of the community getting together and sharing the event after Christ died for us,” she said.

It’s an event that features all ages and one of four teenagers who carried the cross this year, Luke Strahanoski, was happy to be asked to help.

“My twin brother (Caleb) and I have been doing this Good Friday walk ever since I can remember,” Strahanoski said. “They asked us if we wanted to carry it and we jumped at the opportunity.”

He said carrying the cross was like “being one with Christ.”

“It’s beautiful,” he said. “This is, by far, my favorite walk. We always sing, ‘Were You There?’ Now we’re carrying the cross.”

Baker said the walk is a time for fun and a time for reflection.

“Walking with neighbors is great and everyone has fun,” he said. “But during the stops, we have the gospel stories and that’s a little more solemn but it’s cool to see the kids and different families walking.”

Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.