Every Friday at 5:30 p.m. during Lent, Father Rusty Vincent leads his congregation at St. Paul’s Catholic Church in the 14 Stations of the Cross.

Vincent explained the tradition dates back to the days following the crucifixion of Christ.

“After Christ was resurrected, early Christians mapped out each of the spots (in Jerusalem) that certain events happened on Christ’s way to the cross. They would actually walk it through Jerusalem. Sometime during the late Middle Ages, the Franciscans encountered it in the Holy Land, and they brought it back to their churches. Later on, a pope gave permission for all churches to include it in their churches. It’s a prayer that’s occurred since early times, and since everybody couldn’t go to Jerusalem, the idea was to bring it back to their churches.”

The processional route Jesus took on his way to his crucifixion is known as the “Via Dolorosa,” or “The Way of Suffering,” and the Stations of the Cross is a depiction of this journey.

“Stations of the Cross is 14 stations or events starting with Christ being judged by Pilate and ending with his burial,” Vincent said. “We observe the stations on Fridays during Lent because Christ was crucified on a Friday. The stations focus on the Passion of Christ.”

There is a simplified version of Stations of the Cross that uses only eight stations; however, many churches prefer the traditional 14. Also, there are various versions written by different authors of the accompanying liturgical books used to follow the Stations of the Cross.

All Catholic churches feature the Stations of the Cross, whether through tapestry-like hangings, murals, stained-glass windows or carved reliefs. At St. Paul’s, the Stations are featured on large carved stone plaques that hang above the pews directly across from the stained-glass windows. Roman numerals hang next to each one to designate the number of the station.

Parishioners each have a small liturgical booklet with a page for each station. They pause at each station and follow a liturgy, led by Vincent.

When asked if any one station was more important than the others, Vincent hesitated.

“The only one I take extra time with is Christ’s death, which is the twelfth station. It’s a significant moment there. I usually take an extra-long time of silence there.”

While most of the stations are chronicled in the Bible, there are some that are not.

“A few of the stations are about Jesus falling,” Vincent said. “Which, there’s no recording of Jesus falling. That’s something that’s been passed down. The early Christians did it in Jerusalem. When people went to the Holy Land, they did what the early Christians did. The idea is that the early Christians were eyewitnesses to what happened with Christ. Simon did actually help (Jesus) carry the cross. So, clearly, he was having trouble if he needed someone to help him carry the cross.

“You can still go to the stations in Jerusalem today and walk it. They actually have each station marked where it happened. You can walk along the way.”

Vincent said he has had the opportunity to do this himself and the experience was powerful.

When asked how the Stations of the Cross can be relatable to Christians in today’s world, Vincent said there are many ways.

“We experience suffering in our lives. It’s powerful to see Christ in his suffering and connect it with our own. It can give us strength to carry our own crosses. It can show us we aren’t alone, that Christ carries it with us. That’s one of the more powerful things I find from the Stations of the Cross. It helps bring meaning to the suffering in our own lives; it’s not just a meaningless thing that we do.”