WASHINGTON (RNS) A small band of Christians is planning a rally in Washington, D.C., in a bid to make Good Friday a national holiday.

Organizer Sharon Jones, a New York-based missionary, recalled growing up observing the holiday in her native Britain.

She has scheduled a rally on the National Mall on April 22, or Good Friday. She hopes thousands will attend and watch a film about Jesus during the midday event.

“Growing up in the U.K., I remember nothing was open,” she said in an interview Wednesday (April 13). “It was a true day to just look unto Jesus and to say, ‘Thank God that we are saved by the blood.’ Now this is a perfect opportunity for an awareness of who Jesus is.”

Jones said 11 states and more than 135 countries observe Good Friday as an official holiday. She is circulating an online petition to Congress for a U.S. observance.

Supporters include Christian groups based in New Jersey, Texas and Washington, D.C.

– ADELLE M. BANKS, Religion News Service