|
Stations of the Cross I, III, XI, XII, XII, XIV
Return to Architectural Features - Outline Page Return to Read the Church 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. In this way, the Christian is trying to take literally Jesus' command, that Christians must take up their cross and follow him. In St Clare's the 'Stations' are followed every Thursday evening and Sunday afternoon during Lent . ( Lent is a penetential period leading up to Easter - beginning on Ash Wednesday - continuing up to Holy Saturday - the day before Easter Sunday. A period of approximately six weeks) The Stations of the Cross at St Clares are oil paintings in wooden frames and they were installed in 1892 for £300. They are believed to be German The Stations These are a series of 14 pictures depicting the following scenes:
(Please refer to bottom of page for history)
1 Jesus is condemned to death
III The first fall
VII Jesus Falls a second Time
VIII Jesus consoles the women
IX The Third Fall
XI Crucifixion: Jesus is nailed to the cross
XII Jesus dies on the cross
XIII Jesus' body removed from the cross (Pieta)
XIV Jesus is laid in the tomb Stations of the Cross : History The Stations of the Cross are images of stories about the Passion and death of Jesus Christ. Most of the stories which make up the Stations were drawn from Scripture, and others, such as Saint Veronica wiping the face of Jesus, were taken from tradition. The route traditionally held to have been taken by Jesus to his death at Calvary (Golgotha) in Jerusalem is called the Via Dolorosa or the Sorrowful Way. A very early tradition developed in the Holy Land to follow the Via Dolorosa, stopping and contemplating the events of Christ's Passion at sites or Stations where tradition held that they took place. European Christians on Pilgrimage to the Holy Lands brought back the custom of remembering the Passion through various devotions as early as the 4th century. Some trace the history of these devotions to the Blessed Virgin Mary who may have visited the locations of the Passion in Jerusalem after the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, but most trace the beginning of the specific devotion to Saint Francis of Assisi or his followers in the thirteenth century during the peak of Franciscan devotion to the crucified Jesus. During times when the Muslim occupation of the Holy Lands made Christian pilgrimage especially difficult or dangerous, the Stations were erected in the local churches as a way of bringing Jerusalem to the people. The number and names of the Stations changed radically at various times in the history of the devotion. In medieval versions, the number of Stations varied from 11 to 39. The term Stations was first applied to these devotions by the English pilgrim, William Wey in 1428, by which time they were already widespread and popular throughout all of Europe. In 1505, Peter Sterchx of Flanders published the highly influential work called Cruysgang (“Way of the Cross”), a guide book to the Stations that did much to develop the devotions as we know them today. The first twelve Stations were placed in their current order by a Dutch writer, Adrichomius in 1584 in, Via Crucis, Way of the Cross. Pope Clement XII fixed the official number at 14, which was confirmed in 1742 by Pope Benedict XIV, and which is still the most common number.
Return to Architectural Features - Outline Page
|
Back
to top
