depictions of 14 events during the passion and death of Jesus that usually appear on the walls of Catholic churches.
Also known as The Way of the Cross, this devotion to the suffering of Christ consist of prayers and meditations on fourteen occurences experienced by Christ on His way to His crucifixion. Each of these occurances is represented by a cross. This can be done individually, or in groups with one person leading the prayers and moving from cross to cross.
In the Roman Catholic Church, this is the name for a series of devotions in sequence at each of the stations representing events in Christ's Passion. The practice was begun by the Franciscan order. The number of stations has varied from eight to more than twenty-two, but in the 1720s was set at fourteen. Return to Theme
The Stations of the Cross (or Way of the Cross; in Latin, Via Crucis; also called the Via Dolorosa or Way of Sorrows, or simply, The Way) refers to the depiction of the final hours (or Passion) of Jesus, and the devotion commemorating the Passion. The tradition exists in Roman Catholicism, Anglican, and Lutheranism. It may be done at any time, but is most commonly done during the Season of Lent, especially on Good Friday and on Friday evenings during Lent.