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Stations of the Cross

Arrayed around the walls of St Clare's church are what as known as the 'Stations of the Cross'.

These are paintings that show the key scenes in the condemnation and death of Jesus. The series enables Christians to perform their own pilgrimage in the footsteps of Jesus; following the stations in order, stopping at each to pray and meditate on the suffering of that stage. 

Since the time of Jesus many Christians went to Jerusalem because they wanted to actually walk in the places where Jesus walked. In particular, the pilgrims wanted to walk the street where Jesus carried his cross on the way to be crucified. It is called the Via Dolorosa, the way of pain. It became the custom to stop at certain places along the route ("stations") to remember what had happened there.

The Via Dolorosan 

In 1342 the Franciscan monks took over the care of many Christian shrines in the Holy Land. They also started to build shrines with "stations" of the cross in Europe where pilgrims could go to remember Jesus' suffering and death without having to travel the long journey to the Holy Land. In time most Catholic (and many Anglican) churches came to have 14 "stations" of the cross where people could walk the route, and pause to stop, pray and think at each.

The season of Lent is a natural time for this devotion.

The Stations

These  are a series of 14 pictures  depicting the following scenes:

1. Jesus is condemned to death

2. Jesus receives the cross

3. The first fall

4. Jesus meets His Mother

5. Simon of Cyrene carries the cross

6. Veronica wipes Jesus' face with her veil

7. Jesus Falls a second Time

8. Jesus consoles the women

9. The third fall

10. Jesus is stripped of His garments

11. Crucifixion: Jesus is nailed to the cross

12. Jesus dies on the cross

13. Jesus' body removed from the cross (Pieta)

14. Jesus is laid in the tomb

Stations of the Cross at St Clares

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