CHRISTUS St. Michael Texarkana Host Stations of the Cross

Easter is this Sunday and CHRISTUS St. Michael Health System will host Stations of the Cross for the public at noon on Good Friday, March 29, at Sisters’ Park on the CHRISTUS St. Michael campus in Texarkana.

Good Friday is a Christian holiday commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus and his death. Stations of the Cross, also known as the Way of Sorrows or the Via Crucis, refers to a series of images depicting Jesus Christ on the day of his crucifixion and accompanying prayers.

“We invite people of all faiths to join us for this special event as a meaningful way of observing Good Friday,” said David Karchut, vice president of mission integration, CHRISTUS St. Michael.

The stations grew out of imitations of Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem, which is believed to be the path Jesus walked to Mount Calvary, where he was crucified.

“The objective of the stations is to help the Christian faithful to make a spiritual pilgrimage through contemplation of the Passion of Christ,” Karchut said.

The devotional exercise of visiting and praying in front of each of the 14 stations and meditating on the Passion of Christ originates from the practice of early Christian pilgrims who visited the scenes of the events in Jerusalem and walked the traditional route from the suspected location of the house of Pontius Pilate to Calvary. Pilate presided over the trial of Jesus and ordered his crucifixion.

Prayerful meditation through the Stations of the Cross is especially common during Lent and on Fridays throughout the year in commemoration of Christ’s crucifixion on Good Friday.