St Agnes’ Catholic Parish staff gathered on Wednesday afternoon (27 March) in Holy Week for prayer centred around the ‘Way of the Cross’, to reflect on the 14 Stations of the Cross, using the ones based on scripture as suggested by Pope john Paul II in 1991. Each was also linked to a contemporary issue, such as homelessness, that causes suffering to others in today’s world.

Afterwards, the Ni-Van choir, added to the reverence of the service with a choral reflection that included a moving version of ‘The Old Rugged Cross’.

Thank you to Tony Worner, Fr Paul, Fr Prodencio, Jacob Soerensen, Chloe Nash, Stacy McKeogh and the Ni-Van Choir for the roles they also played in organising and participating in the Way of the Cross prayer service to make so special for everyone who attended.

The origins of the Stations of the Cross

Initially known as ‘the Way of the Cross’, the Stations of the Cross had their origin in the Holy Land when pilgrims would walk the road from the Praetorium, the building where Jesus was condemned by Pilate, to Calvary, where Jesus was crucified and died.

Throughout our history, Christians have longed to literally walk in the footsteps of Christ. However, not everyone was or 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 suffering of Jesus. By the 15th century, the Franciscans, founded by St Francis of Assisi, had developed a devotion they called “stations.”

Hence the name ‘Stations of the Cross’. The word means a place where people stand still or gather together.

So even though it implies something “stationary” the prayer 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 14 we know today.