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SANTA FE 鈥� The voice of Archbishop of Santa Fe John C. Wester echoed off the walls of the Penitentiary of New Mexico as dozens of inmates stood behind him to observe Good Friday 鈥� commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

Wester led inmates, clad in orange jumpsuits and sandals, through the Stations of the Cross. The 14-step devotional tradition follows the journey of Jesus that begins when he is condemned to death and ends with him being laid in the tomb. 

鈥淭wo men looked out from the prison bars,鈥� said Wester, reciting a quote from Dale Carnegie. 鈥淥ne saw mud, the other saw stars. What made them different from each other?鈥�

For each station, artwork depicting Jesus sat on a chair inside the prison鈥檚 gymnasium. Wester and the inmates drifted from chair to chair, reading the designated scripture, beginning with an opening prayer from Wester and ending with a hymn.

鈥淟et us pray,鈥� Wester said as participants bowed their heads toward portraits depicting Jesus in the final moments of his life.

Prisoners sang verses of the Way of the Cross, joining together in a chorus of prayer. Some held Bibles in their hands tightly while others reached toward the sky with open palms, crosses dangling from their necks.

Inmate John Fierro said it was an honor to meet the archbishop, adding that Wester鈥檚 visit to the penitentiary fulfilled a section of scripture that talks about love.

鈥淭he archbishop really illustrated that well,鈥� Fierro said. 鈥淭o take the time to come out and see us and show us that he cared. When Jesus was crucified at the end, he was next to prisoners and it made me feel loved and appreciated for someone to sacrifice their life for someone like me.鈥� 

Wester has made it a tradition to visit correctional facilities across New Mexico to hold Mass, Good Friday observances and other religious traditions leading to Easter. He said all denominations can participate in the Stations of the Cross.

鈥淚t gives them something to do as a ritual and gives them a chance to reflect and pray,鈥� Wester said. 鈥淚 also think it gives them a sense of doing, breaks up the day and reminds them that people care.鈥�

It is potentially Wester鈥檚 final Holy Week visit before retirement, though he said he hopes to continue coming to correctional facilities after leaving his post, which he has held since 2015. Dressed in white robes with a purple sash draped across his body, Wester said the ritual can be considered a path of redemption and serves as a reminder to the inmates that there is a way forward to a better life. 

Purple, Wester said, symbolizes repentance, passion and penitence. According to the Passion of Jesus, Roman soldiers put purple robes on Jesus as a form of mockery. Now, the color is a sign of remorse for one鈥檚 sins. 

鈥淢y goal is to pray with the men but also to help them say, 鈥榃hat are the crosses that I鈥檝e encountered that got me here?' and 鈥楬ow can I take that cross and lead it to a new life?鈥欌�� he said. 

Though he was raised Catholic, it was Jose Urban鈥檚 first time participating in the Stations of the Cross. Urban said his mother observed the ceremony at home and it was a way to bond with her while separated by iron bars and razor wire.

鈥淚 prayed for my family because, while we鈥檙e in here, they鈥檙e out there struggling without us,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hile you鈥檙e in here, you have a lot more time to read and get closer to God and spend more time with God.鈥�

Ryan Mathis said it felt good to pray alongside everyone else and said keeping a religious mindset reminded him to live for others and not just himself.

鈥淚t felt good just to be in the spirit of Christ,鈥� he said. 鈥淢y time here has been more of an opportunity to submit myself to the will of God because living my way has already shown its fruits and this is where it took me. It鈥檚 a reminder that you have to live in the way of God, or you鈥檙e just gonna fail.鈥�

The prayers Mathis uttered Friday were particularly important to him, he said, as his mother recently suffered a stroke and has been struggling to take care of herself since. 

Wester said that by going to the correctional facility, he hoped it would show others not to judge those who are incarcerated or formerly incarcerated and instead help them through their journey of life. 

鈥淲e鈥檙e better than the worst thing we鈥檝e ever done and there鈥檚 goodness in them,鈥� Wester said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e good men. They鈥檙e not for us to judge, but to treat them as human beings and as brothers and sisters and children of God.鈥� 

Nakayla McClelland covers crime and breaking news. Reach her at nmcclelland@abqjournal.com or at 505-823-3857.