"From the earliest times Christians flocked to the Holy Land to visit the places sanctified by the events of our Lord’s earthly life. Especially popular was the pilgrimage along the path our Lord took on the first Good Friday.  This pilgrimage was made with great devotion, the procession stopping (or making “stations”) at  the various traditional points where special events took place.  For those who were unable to visit the Holy Land, the custom arose throughout Europe of setting up replicas of the different incidents along the Way of Sorrows, so that the faithful could make spiritual pilgimages.   After a a long development, these little shrines became restricted to fourteen and it is now customary to set them up along the walls of Christian churches.

"This devotion is primarily a private one for the use of individuals, but it is customary in Lent, and at other times, for the people to make the Stations in common.    No official prayers have ever been prescribed for this devotion, whether in private or in public. It is only necessary that there be a movement from one Station to another and that the people meditate, however briefly, on each particular incident."

-- From St. Augustine’s Prayer Book

  

Stations of the Cross

Opening Devotions

V. In the Name + of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
R. Amen

Kyrie Eleison
Christe Eleison
Kyrie Eleison

Leader:
Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy Name.  Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

All:
Give us this day our daily bread.  And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.  And lead us not into temptation.  But deliver us from + evil.  Amen.

V. We will glory in the cross of Our Lord, Jesus Christ.
R. In whom is our salvation, our life, and resurrection.

Let us Pray.
All kneel as silence is kept.

Assist us mercifully with thy most gracious help, O Lord God of our salvation, that we may enter with joy upon the contemplation of those mighty acts whereby thou hast given us life and immortality.  Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The procession moves to the First Station

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THE FOURTEEN STATIONS
Red triangleOpening devotions
Red triangleFirst station
Red triangleSecond station
Red triangleThird station
Red triangleFourth station
Red triangleFifth station
Red triangleSixth station
Red triangleSeventh station
Red triangleEight station
Red triangleNinth station
Red triangleTenth station
Red triangleEleventh station
Red triangleTwelfth station
Red triangleThirteenth station
Red triangleFourteenth station
Red triangleConclusion at the Altar

From the Catholic Encyclopedia:

" Inasmuch as the Way of the Cross, made in this way, constitutes a miniature pilgrimage to the holy places at Jerusalem, the origin of the devotion may be traced to the Holy Land. The Via Dolorosa at Jerusalem (though not called by that name before the sixteenth century) was reverently marked out from the earliest times and has been the goal of pious pilgrims ever since the days of Constantine. Tradition asserts that the Blessed Virgin used to visit daily the scenes of Christ's Passion and St. Jerome speaks of the crowds of pilgrims from all countries who used to visit the holy places in his day. There is, however, no direct evidence as to the existence of any set form of the devotion at that early date...."
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ORABO SPIRITU ORABO ET MENTE  :  PSALLAM SPIRITU PSALLAM ET MENTE

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