Congregants perform stations of cross today at St. Pat's in Hubbard

HUBBARD

Congregants of St. Patrick Roman Catholic Church snaked through the aisles of the sanctuary on Good Friday, following in a solemn procession behind a statue depicting the body of Jesus just after his death on the cross.

The ritual – meant to symbolize the movement of Jesus’s body from the site of the crucifixion to his tomb – served as the conclusion to St. Patrick’s Good Friday Stations of the Cross observance.

In the Catholic tradition, the stations of the cross ritual follows the journey of Jesus from his condemnation by Pontius Pilate to his crucifixion and resurrection. The stations – 14 in total – depict various stages of the journey, including each of Jesus’s three falls, his meeting with Mary and his death on the cross.

The Rev. Michael Swierz of the church said stations of the cross – which date back to at least the 15th century – serves as a proxy pilgrimage for those who are unable to make the journey to Jerusalem to walk the path themselves.

Read more about the observance in Saturday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.