Hundreds gather for annual Way of the Cross walk in downtown Louisville

The 1.5-mile walk is a public display of faith and a call for justice and healing

Apr. 3, 2026 at 10:09pm

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A brightly colored, high-contrast silkscreen print of a single, iconic religious cross symbol repeated in a tight grid pattern, utilizing flat, vibrant neon color palettes and heavy black outlines to transform the everyday object into a modern pop art piece.The annual Way of the Cross walk in downtown Louisville is a powerful public display of faith, community, and a call for justice and healing.Louisville Today

More than 100 people participated in the annual Way of the Cross: Walk for Justice in downtown Louisville on Good Friday. The non-denominational walk, organized in part by Sharron Bidwell, snakes through the city with 14 stops for prayer and reflection. For longtime participant Art Baltes, the walk is an example of "living your faith publicly" during a time of global unrest and suffering.

Why it matters

The Way of the Cross walk is a longstanding Good Friday tradition that brings the Louisville community together to share burdens, pray for a better tomorrow, and put faith into action through a public display of devotion and a call for justice.

The details

The 1.5-mile walk through downtown Louisville features 14 stops where participants read prayers and take moments of reflection. The walk is organized, in part, by Sharron Bidwell, who says the event gives people a chance to come together and share the "burdens" of the world, which she believes Jesus taught his followers to do.

  • The Way of the Cross: Walk for Justice took place on Good Friday, April 3, 2026.
  • The walk has been an annual tradition in Louisville for the last 30 years.

The players

Sharron Bidwell

One of the organizers of the Way of the Cross walk, who believes the event gives people a chance to come together and share the burdens of the world.

Art Baltes

A participant in the Way of the Cross walk for the last 30 years, who acts as a crossing guard to shepherd walkers safely across the road, seeing the event as a public display of devotion.

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What they’re saying

“Faith to us is something a lot more public. It is lived, it is alive, and this is an example of living your faith publicly.”

— Art Baltes, Longtime participant in the Way of the Cross walk

“Sometimes we can sit in our own spaces and feel really overwhelmed. The world is pretty overwhelming these days, but if we can come together and we can pray together, and we can share the burdens together, which is part of what Jesus taught us to do, then we can walk a little bit lighter.”

— Sharron Bidwell, One of the organizers of the Way of the Cross walk

What’s next

The Way of the Cross walk is an annual Good Friday tradition in Louisville, so the next event is expected to take place on April 18, 2027.

The takeaway

The Way of the Cross walk is a powerful example of how a community can come together through faith, prayer, and a shared commitment to justice and healing, even in the face of global unrest and suffering.