The prayers echoed across Parkville Avenue in the Kensington neighborhood of Brooklyn from speakers tied to the roof of a minivan. Those gathered outside St. Rose of Lima Church, many of them immigrants, bowed their heads and took to their knees as they began the re-enactment of Jesus’ procession to crucifixion.

Every year on Good Friday, processions fill streets of cities across the world, in celebration of one of Christianity’s holiest days. And in New York, thousands of Catholics take part in the marches, each one giving a glimpse into a neighborhood’s past and ever-changing present.