BLESSED SACRAMENT CHURCH Participants make journey outdoors to follow the Stations of the Cross

Walking the Stations of the Cross is a traditional Lenten practice.
By LINDA M. LINONIS
VINDICATOR RELIGION EDITOR
WARREN -- At Blessed Sacrament Church, the representations of the Stations of the Cross "aren't what you expect," said Pat Campbell, director of music and worship.
They're outdoors. They're made of colored bronze. They're mounted on posts along a path, evoking the idea of the journey Jesus took on his last days on Earth. And they're lighted at night. The 15 stations were blessed March 7, 2003.
"It's a different experience walking them. Maybe it's because you're outside and in nature," Campbell said. "It's beautiful, and you have a more hopeful sense. It somehow makes the meaning more alive. There is a sadness, but there's hope."
And the hope is especially felt when the Stations of the Cross are recited and dedicated as a prayer for peace, she added. That's at noon Tuesdays.
During Lent, the stations are scheduled at 7 p.m. Fridays. Two times remain, this Friday and April 7, when the parish's young people offer a youth-centered prayer. There will be no stations on Good Friday, April 14.
What makes the Stations of the Cross unique at Blessed Sacrament, located at 3020 Reeves Road N.E., is that the faithful may walk the stations inside the church by following the small wooden crosses at the bases of the church windows as a guide. Or, when the weather is pleasant, people may follow the path outdoors of the stations that are located on the side of the church.
Various formats
"There are different formats," Campbell said. Booklets offering a variety of texts on the stations are available; people follow the same stations, but the prayers focus on a certain topic.
"There are texts for peace -- in your home, family, community. There's a text for older people ... it's reflections on Jesus' life and individuals' situations. And there is another on women of the Gospel," Campbell continued.
Individuals may follow the stations by themselves or participate in a group. The groups are led by one of the commissioned lay leaders of prayer at the church.
"The stations are a traditional Lenten devotion," Campbell said, noting the emphasis on the paschal mystery of Jesus' life, death and resurrection. But the various texts open up more possibilities for prayer and lend themselves to a year-round practice.
Blessed Sacrament also offers a Taiz & eacute; prayer service after the Stations of the Cross on Fridays. "I had the privilege of visiting the Taiz & eacute; community [Taiz & eacute;, France]," Campbell said. "The services are quiet and contemplative."
At the church, the Taiz & eacute; service usually involves a small group that gathers in semicircle around a large cross.
"The service includes song, psalms, Scripture, silences, petitions and joint prayer," Campbell said. "The repetition takes you to a different place in prayer."
linonis@vindy.com