Stations Of The Cross - Something Old, Something New

  A few years back, Holy Trinity Church in Middletown, Ohio, (now part of Holy Family Parish) completed the redecoration of the church interior. The project had been a parish effort, and, in general, the people seemed pleased with the results. The church is an impressive stone structure that boasts great Gothic stained-glass windows, a lofty steeple, and a real bell in the tower. The traditional ambiance inside was carefully retained, even though the improvements included new paint, new floor, air conditioning, and an ornate wooden sanctuary screen behind the altar.

  One task remained: replacing the Stations of the Cross. The “old” stations at Holy Trinity were small hanging wooden plaques with photo-like pictures of the traditional scenes of Jesus’ Way Of The Cross. Of modern design, they had obviously been selected from some religious goods catalog not too many years before. They clearly did not belong in the hundred-year-old Holy Trinity Church.

  By great good luck, a traditional set of stations was available! A nearby church had recently closed, and the former pastor was anxious that the elaborate stations that had been a part of that church for many years be given a good home. The decision was made to borrow one of the stations and bring it to Middletown for inspection and approval by the people of Holy Trinity Parish.

  It was very impressive! “Jesus Meets His Sorrowing Mother” was a pair of statues about sixteen inches high, in primary colors, portraying Mother and Son. They were attached to a thick, solid base. Workmanship was excellent, and the style was traditional. The “new” stations would be a prominent and appropriate feature of the newly-redecorated Holy Trinity Church!

  To the surprise of many, the “new” stations were rejected and the project was postponed. Today a simple set of small wooden crosses marks the Way Of The Cross at Holy Trinity Church.

  The decision to reject the traditional stations at Holy Trinity (and elsewhere!) was the result of two changes in Catholic life in recent years. One of the changes is an increased vigilance in the Church today for signs of the casual and routine anti-Semitism that had crept into the Church over the centuries.

 Consider:

  The four gospels are unanimous in reporting that Jesus had been crucified by the Romans. The Jews of Palestine in Jesus’ day were not permitted to administer capital punishment. On his painful walk to Calvary therefore, Jesus was escorted by a detachment of Roman soldiers, and, at the place of execution, the deed was done by Romans, who then remained on guard duty until Jesus died.

  And yet, in portrayals of the Way Of The Cross in most churches, the Roman soldiers seem strangely aloof from the action. They are escorts and supervisors as Jesus makes his way to Calvary, but the gritty work of urging the suffering Jesus onward and later driving the cruel nails is done by one or two scruffy characters who are short of stature, dressed in rough frocks, and bewhiskered of chin. They are not soldiers. And not Roman. They’re Jews! What are they doing in Jesus’ execution detail?

  In recent years, modern portrayals of the Via Dolorosa  have appeared that do not show these interjected Jews. And rightly so. The portrayal of Jewish executioners on Calvary in Catholic art symbolizes an uncaring attitude toward bigotry that does not belong in Catholic devotion!

  The other change in Catholic life that has affected our attitude toward the stations of the cross is the new view of the parish church in general. Today the church is seen as the place where we celebrate the Eucharist together. “That’s why we have churches,” the argument goes, “it’s there we gather for Mass! 

 According to this viewpoint, the Mass is the central act of the parish community and the exclusive purpose for having a parish church. The former role of a parish church as an oratory for prayer and veneration of the Blessed Sacrament (and a place where Mass is sometimes held) is therefore seen as obsolete!

  The result of this new emphasis is the division of American Catholics into two opposing camps. For the Moderns, the altar should be the only appointment in a parish church. Statues, stations, flags, tabernacles, votive lights, communion rails, etc. are all considered distractions that steal attention from the altar and from the other important symbol in the church, the congregation! In this camp, prominent Stations of the Cross are not welcome. Tiny wooden crosses on the wall are only tolerated.

  For the other, more traditional faction, statues, stained glass windows and stations are elements that contribute to a church’s atmosphere of prayer. They should be encouraged. The more, the better! These things make the church more “churchy”. A church should be more than four walls and a table!

   In its most extreme expression, this camp welcomes and displays decorations discarded by other churches, even if they are redundant or clash with the established decor. Some churches, filled with  statues and shrines, begins to resemble a flea market or a museum!

  Ironically, in the middle of the Information Age, few Catholics are aware of this discussion about church appointments or the two differing camps --or the priorities that influence them. When a pastor suggests moving the tabernacle to a side chapel, people are usually taken by surprise. Choosing up sides over the issue becomes more important than seeing both sides.

  In the same way, most Catholics are unaware of improvements going on in nearby parishes. If a nearby church displays images of Mother Teresa or Dorothy Day or Cardinal Bernardin in its worship space, it’s a well-kept secret. New Stations of the Cross without Semitic characters? Only a few notice. A rumor of a church without kneelers? No one seems to understand why! New guidelines for church art and environment? No one is interested --until the parish worship committee takes out the communion rail or moves the Blessed Sacrament to a side altar.

  Catholic spirituality is going through some strange times! Thousands cling to the customs of their youth, unaware that Catholic fashion has passed them by. Others seize on the latest spiritual novelties, with no sense of the sacred or of Catholic tradition. And many more have abandoned private devotions entirely, convinced that liturgy in the language of the laity has made them obsolete.

  It’s probably time to make reform of Catholic spirituality an agenda item in the U.S. It’s an area that we have neglected in recent years  --with the result being the loss of thousands of members to other faith communities where popular devotions are appreciated and cultivated.

  One hopeful sign: young Catholics are beginning to show some curiosity about the saints and scapulars, surplices, the stations, the mysteries of the rosary--  traditional Catholic symbols and sacramentals that their parents long ago discarded.

  May their ranks increase!