The History of the Stations of the Cross
Dating back to at least the 300s Christians have made pilgrimages along the path that Christ traveled on his way to Calvary. This route was known as the Via Dolorosa, The Way of Sorrow. Over time nine stops for prayer were added, in addition to 5 others found in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Following the Muslim occupation of Jerusalem in the 600s when pilgrimages to Jerusalem became too dangerous, Christians were inspired to erect substitute walks to aid the meditation on the Passion of the Cross in their own countries.
Later when the Franciscans were permitted back into Jerusalem it is said that St. Francis composed the first prayers for the stations. Pope Innocent XI gave permission for station to be added to their order’s churches, with the applied plenary indulgence of a pilgrimage, in 1686. This privilege was extended to all churches in 1862 by Pope Pius IX and the number of fourteen stations was universally set. In the 1700s St. Alphonsus Liguori penned the most widely used form of the Stations of the Cross that included prayers, meditations, and the addition of parts of the Stabat Mater Dolorosa chant.
Praying the Stations of the Cross at Home
With a house-full of little children, the Friday night Stations of the Cross at our parish always seemed to be during suppertime or bumping up to bedtime, so we began praying the Stations at home near the time of Christ’s death at 3pm. Find a time that works well for your specific family!
Some ideas are:
- Before or after a meal
- During Morning Time (“Morning Liturgy”)
- After naptime
- During your family’s bed time ritual
Our parish also includes a soup or fish supper with the Stations and we continued that tradition in our home too, as part of our usually more austere Lenten menu. I found the little wooden crosses for the indulged home Stations of the Cross in the cheap party favor section of a local christian bookstore. To help your family pray the Stations at home I have made a printable booklet that I'd love to email to you. Just subscribe below! I have also provided recordings of the 14 verses of the Stabat Mater hymn ( in Latin and English ) that usually accompany the Stations of the Cross.
Plenary Indulgences when praying the Stations at Home
To gain the plenary indulgence when praying the Station of the Cross at home the usual conditions are required, so one must:
• Be in a state of grace (not excommunicated)
• Be detached from all sin
• Make a confession 20 days before or after
• Receive Holy Communion 20 days before or after
• Pray for the Pope’s intentions
And particularly for the Stations indulgence one must:
• Have properly hung and blessed Stations at the least made of 14 small wooden crosses.
• Have the leader of the devotion, if not all participants, move from station to station.
When all the requirements for this plenary indulgence are not met the indulgence becomes partial. Regardless of the type of indulgence granted, praying the Stations of the Cross with your family is a great benefit to one's soul and a beautiful opportunity for catechesis on the passion of our Lord and to teach meditation to even the youngest members of our Domestic Monasteries.
Stabat Mater in Latin
Stabat Mater in English
Music and the Stations of the Cross
For each Friday afternoon in Lent our family also chooses a different musical setting of the Stabat Mater Dolorosa for our Free Listening (listening to sacred and classical music simply for enjoyment and exposure). This was an extension of our family's typical fast from secular music during Lent. The Stabat Mater Dolorosa, considered one of the Church’s 7 great Latin hymns, recalls the is thought to be from the 1200s and is often attributed to Pope Innocent III. You can find our Singing with the Saints Hymn Study on the Stabat Mater Dolorosa, including the solfege video and hand sign printable, here. Throughout history many prominent composers have set the Stabat Mater Dolorosa text to music. These are a few of our family’s favorite settings:
- Josquin Des Prez
- Antonio Vivaldi
- Giovanni Pergolesi
- Joseph Haydn
- Antonín Dvořák
- Francis Poulenc
Josquin Des Prez • Stabat Mater
Antonio Vivaldi • Stabat Mater
Giovanni Pergolesi • Stabat Mater
Joseph Haydn • Stabat Mater
Antonín Dvořák • Stabat Mater
Francis Poulenc • Stabat Mater
Specifically related to the Stations of the Cross we also enjoy listening to Franz Liszt’s organ and choral work, Via Crucis, and Marcel Dupré’s Le Chemin de la Croix inspired by the Station poems of Paul Claudel.
Franz Liszt • Via Crucis
Marcel Dupré • Le Chemin de la Croix
I pray these Lenten resources are a blessing to your family!
Pax,
Genie
