Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.”
Luke 23: 34
What Are the Stations of the Cross?
The Stations of the Cross are depictions of events in the Passion of Christ through pictures or carvings. This practice began in the 12th and 13th centuries. Traditionally, fourteen stations illustrate Jesus’ condemnation by Pontius Pilate to His death.
Over the Church’s history, different versions of the Stations of the Cross have developed. During John Paul II’s papacy, which began in 1978, he encouraged Catholics to add a fifteenth Station, the Resurrection of Christ. John Paul II also introduced a new version of the Stations, called the Scriptural Way of the Cross, which was considered more biblically accurate, on Good Friday in 1991. Additionally, the stations may vary in some countries, starting at the Last Supper and ending with His Resurrection.
It is a common practice, especially during Lent, for Christians to reflect on the stations and the Passion of Christ.
Below are the Stations of the Cross seen in our own Parish in the Church of the Immaculate Conception Ashbourne, Co. Meath, Ireland.
The 1st Station:
Jesus Condemned
The 2nd Station:
The Cross
The 3rd Station:
The First Fall
The 4th Station:
Mother and Son
The 5th Station:
Simon
The 6th Station:
Veronica
The 7th Station:
The Second Fall
The 8th Station:
The Holy Women
The 9th Station:
The Third Fall
The 10th Station:
The Stripping
The 11th Station:
The Nailing
The 12th Station:
Jesus Dies for Us
The 13th Station:
The Decent
The 14th Station:
Jesus Entombed
The 15th Station:
The Resurrection
