Stations of The Cross

A series of pictures or carvings depicting fourteen incidents in the last journey of Christ before His burial. They are usually placed around the walls of churches and used for popular devotions during Lent or Holy Week. The congregation goes from one picture to the next, led by the priest, recalling Christ's last hours before His death. The fourteen incidents are: (1) Pilate condemns Jesus to death; (2) Christ receives His cross; (3) Christ falls to the ground; (4) Christ meets His mother; (5) Simon of Cyrene takes the cross; (6) Christ's face is wiped by Veronica; (7) Christ falls a second time; (8) Christ tells the women of Jerusalem not to weep for Him; (9) Christ falls a third time; (10) Christ is stripped of His garments; (11) Christ is nailed to the cross; (12) Christ dies on the cross; (13) Christ's body is taken down from the cross; (14) Christ's body is placed in the tomb. The keeping of the Stations of the Cross was instituted by the Franciscans, but the form of service was not finally settled until the nineteenth century. Many Anglican churches as well as the Roman Catholic Church use this Lenten devotional service.