Centennial year! The St. John Passion Play has been presented every year since World War I. Like the world-famous Obergammerau Passion Play that inspired it, the Cincinnati St. John Passion Play is the result of a war-time vow. Parishioners of St. John the Baptist Church in Over-the-Rhine, grieving the loss of eight servicemen, gathered after a 1917 performance of a play about St. Veronica written by their pastor, and vowed to perform a play about the Passion of Christ every year as a prayer for the protection of their sons, brothers, and husbands. Even after the parish closed in 1969, the play continued. It moves from venue to venue each year, with a giant cast made up of people of all denominations. This year the Passion Play will be presented over two weekends and Good Friday at Mount St. Joseph University and Lockland Christian Church. Performances are free but donations are accepted to keep the production going.