Celebrating the beginning of Holy Week, the Rev. Pat Mahoney (center) holds a 7-foot wooden cross as Paul Schenck (second from right) offers prayer as the group commemorates the fourth station of the cross at the Russell Senate Office Building in Washington yesterday. REZA MARVASHTI/THE FREE LANCE-STAR

Walking from Union Station toward the U.S. Capitol and Supreme Court, The Rev. Patrick Mahoney carries a 7-foot cross in celebration of the beginning of Holy Week. REZA MARVASHTI/THE FREE LANCE-STAR

As others kneel in prayer, the Rev. Patrick Mahoney tells a Library of Congress police officer that the group is not breaking the law and not blocking access to the library. REZA MARVASHTI/THE FREE LANCE-STAR

Religious group draws attention--not the kind they were hoping for

BY AMY FLOWERS UMBLE

Date published: 3/29/2007

BY AMY FLOWERS UMBLE

WASHINGTON--Lunchtime in the nation's capital: The sidewalks teem with men and women in power suits, groups of schoolchildren and families stopping to pose in front of monuments. A group of 10 carrying a 7-foot wooden cross warrants barely a second glance.

The group, part of the Christian Defense Coalition, marked the Stations of the Cross yesterday by walking around D.C., carrying the cross and stopping to pray near various landmarks.

The Rev. Patrick Mahoney, head of the coalition and a Spotsylvania County resident, said the public celebration just prior to Holy Week was intended to make people pay attention to the messages taught by Jesus Christ.

But not too many people paid much attention at first. Only a handful of students pointed or glanced back at the group, praying and singing.

It wasn't until the group stopped to pray for a fourth time that people stopped to ask questions.

"That's really great," said a man walking by with his family.

"God bless you," another woman said.

As the group made its way toward the Supreme Court, a man having to share the sidewalk with them grumbled, "Why do people do things like that?"

And police at the court were quick to make sure the group did not pray on the steps of the court--a rule Mahoney had already warned them about.

While the group members prayed silently at the sixth stop, the Library of Congress, they really got noticed.

A Library of Congress police officer tapped Mahoney on the shoulder and asked to see some identification.

He told his group to keep praying and spoke with the officer. Within minutes, more officers were on the scene.

Mahoney had applied for a permit to hold a demonstration but didn't have it on him. He said he didn't need one because there were fewer than 20 people in the group. But the police told him his permit was for public grounds and that he entered Library of Congress property when he brought the group into a curve in the sidewalk.

"It is a sad thing when American citizens are praying on a public sidewalk and they are told they have to get up and they are told they have to show their ID," said Mahoney. He's a veteran of many public demonstrations and has led protests against abortion, removing the Ten Commandments from courthouses and the decision to remove Terri Schiavo's feeding tube.

His wife, Katie, said yesterday was just another typical day with Mahoney, who often fights for First Amendment rights.

"You just have to constantly fight for it," she said, "because it just erodes away."

Stations of the Cross are a series of prayers and messages that relate to the events leading up to the death of Jesus. There are traditionally 14 stations, set up in some churches and other locations that people visit as a form of pilgrimage during the Easter season.

Date published: 3/29/2007

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