Let us entrust ourselves to the Mother of Christ. May Mary, who accompanied her Son along his way of sorrows, who stood beneath the cross at the hour of his death, and who inspired the Church at its birth to live in God’s presence, lead our hearts and the hearts of every family through the vast mysterium passionis towards the mysterium paschale, towards that light which breaks forth from Christ’s resurrection and reveals the definitive victory of love, joy and life over evil, suffering and death. Amen.
–Pope Benedict XVI
The Via Crucis–or the Stations of the Cross–is a devotion that consists of fourteen stations, each depicting a moment in Christ’s journey on the day of his crucifixion.
The Via Crucis developed out of a desire to reproduce the Via Dolorosa, the processional route in Jerusalem that Jesus took on the way to his crucifixion. The Via Dolorosa and its associated sites subsequently became a common pilgrimage site for Christians. While there are various accounts for the origin of the Via Crucis in its modern form, most historical accounts attribute the development of the rite to Saint Francis of Assisi and the Franciscan order. The Franciscans wanted to reproduce elements of the pilgrimage to the Holy Land–a trip that was not possible for many–in order to foster a devotion that would bring Christians closer to Jesus’ journey, even if believers were physically unable to take the pilgrimage to Jerusalem. The Franciscans built shrines to duplicate the counterparts of these sites in the Holy Land, and the Franciscan order was granted the right by Pope Innocent XI to build these stations within their churches in 1686. Pope Clement XII later extended the right to build these stations within all churches in 1731. The stations of the cross that now appear in all Catholic churches are therefore quite modern in the context of the history of the church, with most stations only being constructed from the 18th century onward. But the origin of the Via Crucis is rooted in antiquity. According to ancient tradition, it was said that the Blessed Virgin Mary often retraced Jesus’ steps on the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem, and she therefore established the practice that would eventually become the Via Crucis.
The Via Crucis is observed on Fridays throughout Lent (quaresima) in order to commemorate Jesus’ death on Good Friday (Venerdì Santo). Many parishes will hold late afternoon and evening devotions to commemorate the death of Jesus on the cross. There is no single standard way to observe the Via Crucis, and there are many variations, compilations, and curations that have been adapted and produced over time. Different versions are often observed during each week of Lent to trace the Lenten journey and the approach to Maundy/Holy Thursday (Giovedì Santo). If attending a Via Crucis devotion at a church, the parish will always provide a booklet or pamphlet listing the stations, passages from the Scriptures, and the specific prayers, meditations, and responsorials that will be recited. The priest and celebrants will walk around the perimeter of the church with a crucifix draped in white cloth to commemorate each station of the cross, stopping at fixed intervals to mark each station. The congregation will either physically follow–moving along with each station–or remain in the pews. The priest and celebrants will announce each station of the cross, read the selected passages from the Scriptures, and lead the congregation through the antiphonal prayers and hymns indicated in the provided book or pamphlet (and usually denoted in bold and/or italic type). In the curated version that I provide of a Via Crucis devotion, I use bold, italic type to denote antiphons and other prayers that are to be recited in unison. It is common practice to kneel or genuflect upon the announcement of each station of the cross.
Though the structure of the Via Crucis will depend upon the preferences of a given priest, church, and the selected text provided, the devotion allows for endless and unique ways to reflect upon the fourteen stations of the cross. (There is also a scriptural version of the Via Crucis, which is a modern version of the stations of the cross marking different moments of Christ’s passion.) Though there are briefer, condensed versions, a full structure of the Via Crucis will consist of opening prayers, a scriptural reading, reflection, set of intercessional prayers, oration, and hymn for each station of the cross, and concluding prayers. For some stations, there are multiple possible scriptural selections, which accounts for some differences among recitations depending upon the passage chosen. There are also specific melodies used for the hymns included in the Via Crucis that vary depending upon region, rite, and parish. Because I learned the basic structure of the Via Crucis in the Ambrosian church, this includes a particular melody for the hymn based upon St. Francis of Assisi’s prayer (subsequently shortened and adapted to the Via Crucis) that is sung after each station of the cross is announced:
Ti adoriamo, Cristo, e ti benediciamo
Perché con la tua santa Croce hai rendento il mondoWe adore You, O Christ, and we praise You
Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world
The following hymn is also recited to a particular melody at the end of each station of the cross:
Santa Madre, deh voi fate
Holy Mother,
che le piaghe del Signore
siano impresse nel mio cuor.
please let the wounds of the Lord
be imprinted on my heart.
Depending upon the church and given recitation, this hymn will sometimes be repeated with the same lyrics and form at the end of each station, and sometimes the lyrics will vary at each station (there are several lyrical variations), while adhering to the same melody.
I have included a set of resources on praying the Via Crucis, including a bilingual list of the stations of the cross, a bilingual guide of how to pray the Via Crucis, and curated images depicting the Via Crucis. The bilingual guide that I have curated on how to pray the Via Crucis devotion presents one example of a possible full Via Crucis devotion, including opening and closing prayers, scriptural passages, meditations, intercessional prayers, and hymns. I have assembled and curated this version from a variety of different Italian texts and live Via Crucis devotions. I found the special invocations, orations, and reflections featured in this text to be particularly moving, and they speak powerfully to our current moment. The Via Crucis is a devotion deeply rooted in the Holy Land, and we must therefore center our Christian brothers and sisters persecuted throughout the Middle East and North Africa–the birthplace of our faith–with each Via Crucis that we pray this Lenten season and beyond.
The Via Crucis is intended for us to reflect upon Christ’s sacrifices, but this reflection on his teachings cannot be static, neutral, or passive–it must propel us forward to counter injustice, to advocate for the marginalized, to change oppressive systems, and to transform our world into a more just, kind, and peaceful place.
Pax vobiscum,
Giorgina S. Paiella
Giorgina S. Paiella, Ph.D. 