Dear Friends:
From the earliest days of Christianity, pilgrims have journeyed to Jerusalem to walk in the footsteps of our Lord's Passion on the road to Calvary. Tradition holds that Mary, the mother of Jesus, led by example, making daily visits to the sacred sites of her Son’s suffering, death, and resurrection following His ascension into heaven. More than 2,000 years later, we continue to seek a deeper understanding of Christ’s saving sacrifice by meditating on or reenacting His crucifixion through what has come to be known as the Stations of the Cross.
Also referred to as the "Way of the Cross" or "Via Crucis," this cherished devotion has been an essential part of the Church's Lenten tradition since the 18th century, when the Church officially approved the practice in its current form. Comprising 14 stations drawn from both Scripture and sacred tradition, the Stations of the Cross allow the faithful to spiritually journey along the Via Dolorosa (Latin for "Way of Sorrows") in Jerusalem, even without traveling there. Beginning with Christ's condemnation and culminating in the laying of His body in the tomb, each station invites us to pause and reflect through prayer, meditation, and contemplation, deepening our connection to the mystery of His Passion.
