Stations of the Cross

One of the traditions often practiced in a communal way during Lent is the devotion called Stations of the Cross. In most Catholic parishes you will see, along the walls, a series of artistic representations of Jesus on his way to the Crucifixion. Typically, these are placed at intervals along the side walls of the church, and in most churches these are small plaques with reliefs or paintings or wood carvings.

Since the 17^th century, the Stations of the Cross has consisted of fourteen pictures or sculptures depicting scenes of the trail of Jesus; his journey to Golgotha; his crucifixion, death and burial.

Out of these fourteen traditional Stations of the Cross, only eight are found in scripture. The biblical accounts in the gospels never mention Jesus falling, nor do any of the evangelists mention Jesus meeting His mother or Veronica on his way to Golgotha. Station Thirteen, in many depictions, shows Jesus' body being taken from the cross and laid in the arms of Mary, although biblical accounts state that Joseph of Arimathea secured permission to take Jesus from the cross and bury him. These scenes are included out of tradition.

The Stations of the Cross originated in pilgrimages to Jerusalem. The devotion of the Via Dolorosa, the way of sorrow, was probably developed by the Franciscans after they were granted administration of the Christian holy places in Jerusalem in 1342. The Franciscans then began to build a series of shrines in Europe to duplicate those in the Holy Land. These were usually placed along the approach to a church. Eventually, churches began to put smaller versions inside or outside their buildings.

Stations of the Cross may be prayed at any time, but is most commonly done during the season of Lent. Risen Savior holds Stations of the Cross on Friday evenings at 7:00 PM, and are accompanied by song and prayer. In some parishes, the entire community moves around the stations; in others, just the presider and altar servers move while the congregation participates from the pews. This powerful devotion helps the faithful to make a spiritual pilgrimage of prayer by meditating on Christ's suffering and death.