Stations of the Cross:   How ancient is this practice of offering this as a special devotion
during the Lenten Season?

Over the centuries, many pilgrims would visit the Holy Land and try to retrace the steps of Jesus. When they returned to their home churches, many of these pilgrims paid for shrines to be built that represented the holy places they visited. In 1342, the Franciscans became the official guardians of the holy places, and they would guide pilgrims along the Way of the Cross. In 1668, Pope Innocent the XI gave permission to the Franciscans to place Stations of the Cross in all of their churches. The number of these early stations varied, from as few as seven to as many as thirty-seven. Finally, in 1731, Pope Clement XII defined fourteen stations as the official devotion. 

In recent years, two modifications of the Stations of the Cross have become fairly common. Some churches have a fifteenth station representing Jesus’ Resurrection. Other churches have scriptural accounts that are not in the traditional station devotion. In more recent years, a popular Lenten devotion is the “Living Stations of the Cross.” This is a play with music, singing and dramatic speaking parts.

Regardless of their format or the liturgical season of the year during which they are celebrated, the Stations of the Cross are a gentle reminder that we journey with Jesus on His way to Calvary.

Excerpted from Dear Padre, copyright (c) 2003.
Used with permission of Liguori Publications, Liguori, MO 63057. 1-800-325-9521. www.liguori.org