Dusting off the “Stations of the Cross”

In the mid-eighties, I discovered what many Roman Catholics had meditated on for hundreds of years.  Especially during the liturgical season of Lent, leading up to the great feast of Easter, in a tradition attributed to St. Francis of Assisi, many meditate on the “Via Crucis” or the “Stations of the Cross.”  What began with pilgrimages to Jerusalem to retrace the steps of Jesus on His “Walk to Calvary” were converted to a chapel meditation by creating sculptures or pictures of the scenes along the way.

The traditional “Stations” include:

1. Christ condemned to death;
2. the cross is laid upon him;
3. His first fall;
4. He meets His Blessed Mother;
5. Simon of Cyrene is made to bear the cross;
6. Christ’s face is wiped by Veronica;
7. His second fall;
8. He meets the women of Jerusalem;
9. His third fall;
10. He is stripped of His garments;
11. His crucifixion;
12. His death on the cross;
13. His body is taken down from the cross; and
14. laid in the tomb.

As I experienced my first observation of the meditation, I found myself quite moved.  Having been a Christian for most of my life and having what I felt at the time was a fairly good relationship with Jesus, experiencing the “Stations” brought to life the passion of our Lord.  I was walking along with Him to the Cross; I could hear the jeers and tears of those who followed Him; I saw the executioner drive the nails into his hands.

Well, that Easter came and went and life went on.  My interest in the “Stations” was rekindled when one of the priests at the church we were attending published a booklet called “Mary’s Way of the Cross” in which he told the story of the “Stations” through the eyes of Jesus’ Mother — who we are told in scripture was there with Jesus at His Crucifixion.  He was able to show in a beautiful way, a mother’s love for her child.

As I continued to reflect upon and study the “Stations,” I too, was inspired to “take pen in hand” (well, actually, it was an early word processing program on my new ‘Personal Computer‘) and attempt to expand some of the stories of the “Stations.”  I wanted more to know what Jesus had endured for our sake.  I tried to empathize with those who Jesus met along the way.  What would Simon of Cyrene have been thinking when pressed into service by the Romans to carry the Cross?  How about the Roman Centurion? Joseph of Arimathea? Nicodemus?

A few sketches began to take shape, but it was not until I was on an extended, multi-week training session in Rochester, NY for my former employer, Eastman Kodak, that I devoted a concentrated amount of time to writing.  Upon my return, I shared my reflections with Fr. Mike Woempner, another of the priests at St. Mary’s in Annapolis at the time.  He was very encouraging to me and immediately wanted me to make plans to share with the community for Lent.  Well, it would be too much in such a short amount of time to put together the ‘cast’, gather musicians, rehearse the songs, etc.  So what we did instead was pre-record the songs and voices and we would simply have the Narrator ‘live’ at the presentations.  I had thought at the time an accompanying slide show (yes, that would have been the 35mm, 2″x2″ in the round trays type) would be an nice addition, but that did not come to fruition.  Thanks to several music minister friends at the parish, we were able to get the songs recorded.  I had other friends and family record the voice dialog.  I was doing the final editing of the 1/4″ reel-to-reel tape just hours before the presentation. But we managed to get through it and it was well received.

I continued to revise and refine the work, when ‘life’ allowed.  There have been a few parishes who have presented it over the years.  I added some choral arrangements of the traditional “Stabat Mater” and “O Sacred Head” hymns as well as choral parts for the songs.

When we moved to Carroll County, we found our new church home at St. Peter the Apostle in Libertytown, MD.  The church was constructed in the late 1800’s and had beautiful Mayer stained glass windows, a painted Crucifixion scene that hung above the sanctuary and some cast plaster “Stations.”  I spent hours looking at, and meditating upon the sculptured “Stations.”

In 2002, I had the honor to direct the presentation of the “Stations” at St. Peter’s.   We used a combination of live musicians and computer-driven instrumental accompaniment tracks.  So many good friends and family shared their talents.  My son, Justin played both trumpet and flute.  Ryan, our youngest, handled sound effects and recording duties.  My dear wife, Terri, was one of the narrators.  The kind comments following were humbling.

When we suffered the loss of our church building in 2004 due to a construction accident, I was relieved to hear the Stations had survived.  They were restored, accented, re-framed and installed in the new church building dedicated in 2008.

We’ve been asked to present the “Stations” on Good Friday of 2011 and so we are dusting off the music and preparing for rehearsals.  I’m afraid the presentation this year will be bittersweet, though.  We will dedicate this presentation in memory of Justin and in the memory of Cindy Getsinger.

Saint Cecilia, ora pro nobis