The Fourteen Stations of the Cross

The Fourteen Stations of the Cross adorn the walls of almost every Catholic church and chapel. Many parishes commemorate the Fridays of Lent with a prayerful remembrance of the Passion of Christ by walking the stations with him. Throughout our history, Christians have longed to literally walk in the footsteps of Christ. The shrines of the holy places in and around Jerusalem have drawn pilgrims inspired by the life and death of their master.

However, not everyone is able to travel to the Holy Land. So, ever since the Middle Ages, churches and chapels began erecting images devoted to an aspect of the passion. By the 15th century, the Franciscans had developed a devotion they called “stations.” The word means a place where people stand still or gather. Even though it implies something “stationary,” the service obviously must include the movement of pilgrims following the footsteps of Christ.

It took a while to fix the number and the names of the stations, but in 1731, Pope Clement XII established the fourteen we know today. We still find some variations in the number. Many places add a fifteenth station, for example, the Resurrection of Jesus. Discontent with leaving Christ in the tomb when our faith expresses so much more, worshippers have found consolation in completing the story of the cross. The stations inspire us all to follow Christ through suffering to peace.

STATIONS OF THE CROSS
FRIDAYS AT 7 PM- March 6, 13, 20, 27

Praying the Stations brings us closer to Jesus Christ by whose passion and death we are freed from sin and brought into a new relationship with God.