STATIONS OF THE CROSS, a pilgrimage of passion

Cathedral's glass Mosaic Station number fourteen Christ is laid in the tomb. Erected in 1940 , it was designed by Emil Frei and made of special German glass. Notes: Emil Frei, Sr., was born in Bavaria in 1869 and studied at the Munich Academy of art. Upon Completion of his studies he immigrated to New York to escape the universal military service then required in Germany. Glass seems to have a satin finish, doesn't reflect a lot of light, and appears to have a metallic coating. Colors are blue gold and silver. It was in the field of mosaic design, however, where Emil Frei, Sr., made his best-remembered contribution to liturgical art.

One of the most popular Lenten devotions of the Church, Stations of the Cross, bring together three distinctly Catholic elements: Marian devotion, ecclesiastic art and music in a beautiful way. They originated in Jerusalem as a spiritual experience for pilgrims.

The faithful had made pilgrimages to the Holy Sites since the time of Constantine, though the Stations of the Cross did not exist until around the fourteenth century. They constitute a miniature pilgrimage to the holy places at Jerusalem, which were a part of Christ's passion. A desire to reproduce the holy places in other lands, in order to satisfy the devotion of those who were hindered from making the actual pilgrimage, seems to have manifested itself at quite an early date.

A seventh century tradition asserts that the Blessed Virgin Mary in her later years visited daily the Holy Sepulcher of Christ. Inspired by this Marian tradition the early Franciscans in 1335 established a fixed route for pilgrims to follow between the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and the house of Pilate.

The Franciscans had been appointed as guardians of Jerusalem's Catholic shrines making them a logical group to develop the devotion. Later on the direction the pilgrims followed was reversed so that they literally follow in the footsteps of Christ toward Calvary (Via Dolorosa).

The modern form of the stations evolved in Northern Europe, primarily in Italy where they became a permanent feature of every parish church. Through time the stations varied from only five to as many as 30, but by 1563 a Belgian Carmelite, Jan Pascah, established the fourteen Stations that became known as the Way of the Cross. Now prescribed by the authority of the church they are:

1. Christ condemned to death;
2. The cross is laid upon him
3. His first fall;
4. He meets His Blessed Mother
5. Simon of Cyrene is made to bear the cross
6. Christ's face is wiped by Veronica
7. His second fall
8. He meets the women of Jerusalem
9. His third fall;
10. He is stripped of His garments
11. His crucifixion;
12. His death on the cross;
13. His body is taken down from the cross
14. He is laid in the tomb.

The fourteen names of the stations are used to signify either a series of pictures or tableaux representing certain scenes in the Passion of Christ, each corresponding to a particular incident. They can be either a picture, or a three-dimensional object. Few churches in America are without some form of stations. Many found in European church are considered works of fine art such as those at The Duomo of Milan. Famous Bavarian stained glass artist Emil Frei, who was trained in the Munich Academy of Art, designed the unique stations found in Corpus Christi Cathedral. When the Cathedral was built in 1939-40 he produced the design for the stations, contracted with a German company to make the unusual glass and had the glass mosaics produced in Milan by Italian artist Gaputo. Safety Glass Co. of Corpus Christi produced the glass plates, which identify each station. Bishop E. B. Ledvina then erected the stations.

The Way of the Cross-was designed to acquaint the pilgrim with the aspects of Christ's passion, making them more aware of the scope of His sacrifice. The object is to help the faithful, make in spirit, a pilgrimage to the chief scenes of Christ's sufferings and death without the need to visit the actual site. Passing from Station to Station, with certain prayers at each and devout meditation on the various incidents in turn completes the spiritual exercise.

No particular prayers are ordered though many times it is the meditation of the Italian Bishop St. Alphonsus Liguori (1787) that is read. The most popular hymn for the Way of the Cross, usually sung one verse at a time is the Stabat Mater Dolorosa (The most sorrowful Mother stood) sung while moving from station to station. It is believed that an unidentified Franciscan Friar composed it in the thirteenth century. Later, in a form specific to the stations known as oratoia George Frederic Handel in 1742 produced the most famous oratorio of all the Messiah, associated with Christmas but in content climaxing in the biblical text of Christ's passion and resurrection. It was also in the form of an orotoria that Johann Sebastian Bach composed his incomparable musical dramatization The Passion according to St. Matthew in 1729. Both are examples of the timelessness and beauty of many Catholic prayers and music. The Stations of the Cross incorporate hundreds of years of devotion and spiritual inspiration within their framework.

There is some uncertainty as to what are the precise indulgences belonging to the stations. It is agreed that all that have ever been granted to the faithful for visiting the holy places in person can now be gained by making the Via Crucis in any church where the Stations have been erected in due form.

Pictures or tableaux of the various Stations are not necessary. It is to the cross-placed over them that the indulgence is attached. These crosses must be of wood; no other material will do. If only painted on the wall the erection is null.

There should if possible be a separate meditation on each of the fourteen incidents of the Way of the Cross — not a general meditation on the Passion or on other incidents not included in the Stations.

It is necessary to make all the Stations uninterruptedly. Hearing Mass or going to Confession or Communion between Stations is not considered an interruption. According to many, the Stations may be made more than once on the same day, the indulgence may be gained each time; but this is by no means certain. Confession and Communion on the day of making the Stations are not necessary provided the person making them is in a state of grace;

In conclusion it may be safely asserted that there is no devotion more richly endowed with grace than the Way of the Cross — and none that enables us more literally to obey Christ's injunction to take up our cross and follow Him. The fact that the Stations may be made either publicly or privately in any church renders the devotion especially suitable for all. Today one of the most popularly attended Ways of the Cross is done in the Coliseum at Rome, where every Friday the devotion is conducted publicly by a Franciscan Father. Additionally, in recent past on Good Friday the Pope leads the Way of the Cross-at the Coliseum in Rome.