Stations of the Cross

The Stations of the Cross, also known as the Way of the Cross or Via Crucis, commemorate Jesus's passion and death on the cross. There are 14 stations that each depict the primary scenes of Jesus’ suffering and death throughout his journey to Calvary, usually through sacred art, prayers, and reflections. The practice began as pious pilgrims traced his path through Jerusalem on the Via Dolorosa. 

Later, for the many who wanted to pass along the same route, but could not make the trip to Jerusalem, a practice developed that eventually took the form of the fourteen stations currently found in almost every church throughout the world.

When meditating on the Stations of the Cross, the celebrant—or the faithful individually—move from station to station as they recall the specific events along the Way of the Cross. This usually involves reading passages from Scripture and meditations on the events, and praying various prayers, often accompanied by genuflections. A very common prayer that is prayed after each station during the Stations of the Cross came from St. Francis himself:
 

"We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You; because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world."

The stations are most commonly prayed during Lent on Wednesdays and Fridays, and especially on Good Friday, the day of the year upon which the events actually occurred.  There are a variety of versions of the stations.  The version of the stations in our church contains the standard stations, as introduced in the 16th Century.

The 14 three-dimensional Stations of the Cross in our church were made in Munich and were installed in 1894.  Since their installation, they have been painted, but are still in place today.