Carpets of Holy Week Alfombras de Semana Santa
La Sagrada Familia Church
7719 Detroit Ave. Cleveland April 7, 2023
A Good Friday Procession covered 3 churches in Cleveland on Good Friday 2023. It began in the mostly Puerto Rican St. Michael the Archangel Church at Scranton and Clark in Cleveland. Bishop Edward Malesic offered a welcome and prayer and then led the procession with other priests, men carrying a large statue of the body of Jesus, ladies carrying a statue of the Sorrowful Mother, a man dressed as Jesus carrying a cross, Roman Centurions, Saint Veronica and more.
They marched through the neighborhoods to St. Colman Church where they processed in for a service.
The final stop was at La Sagrada Familia Church on Detroit.
The gymnasium at La Sagrada Familia Parish on Cleveland's West Side, was filled with dozens of colorful, sawdust carpets, known as the Carpets of Holy Week. In Spanish, they are called Alfombras de Semana Santa. The handiwork was done by individuals, families, parish organizations, nonprofits and other groups.
We spoke with Mimi from La Sagrada Familia who told us that the Church is home to worshippers from 15 different Hispanic countries. She said that the Carpets became an annual tradition in 2014 when their priest brought the custom from El Salvador. The carpets are a tradition there and in the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and some other countries.
The Catholic Diocese news reported that a group of volunteers tinted sawdust and sand that was used by the groups to create their carpets. The volunteers go to a sawmill in Amish country to pick up 15-20 large bags of sawdust for the carpets. The sawdust is divided into large, aluminum trays, moistened and tinted with paint. The volunteers also tint several colors of sand.
It's hard to believe but these beautiful creations will only exist through Holy Week.
Watch a quick video walkthrough of the Carpets.
Here are some images of the Carpets of Holy Week, Alfombras de Semana Santa
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