How many Stations of the Cross are there? Throughout history, seven to about 30 stations have been used, said Johan van Parys, director of liturgy and the sacred arts at the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis. Pope Clement XII codified the 14 stations that have become so familiar, Van Parys said.
Van Parys joined “Practicing Catholic” host Patrick Conley March 26 to talk about the Stations of the Cross. He has graduate degrees in art history and comparative religious studies, and a Ph.D. in theology from the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana.
Johan van Parys
St. John Paul II celebrated the Stations of the Cross on Good Friday in the Coliseum in Rome, and in 1991 commissioned a different set of Scripture-based stations, van Parys said. The late pope also added a 15th station, the Resurrection.
“His thinking was that without the Resurrection, everything before makes no sense,” van Parys said.
The very early Christians — those who had known Jesus and maybe the next generation — focused on the resurrection of Jesus, van Parys said. “They had not yet embraced the fact that the Passion, the self-sacrifice, is what made just this big gift to us.”
Second and third generations retained the importance of Christ’s resurrection, but came to realize that without Christ’s suffering and death, there would be no resurrection, van Parys said. And especially in times of suffering, such as during the plague in the Middle Ages, the Passion gave Christians solace because they could join their suffering to the suffering of Christ, he said.
Can you name the Station of the Cross that is not found in Scripture? Tune in to this episode of the “Practicing Catholic” radio show for the answer and to hear van Parys’ complete interview. It airs 9 p.m. March 26, 1 p.m. March 27 and 2 p.m. March 28 on Relevant Radio 1330 AM.
To livestream the Stations of the Cross from the Basilica each Friday of Lent at 5:30 p.m., look for the link at mary.org or go to facebook.com/BasilicaMpls.
“Practicing Catholic” is produced by Relevant Radio and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Other guest interviews on the March 26 show are Bishop Andrew Cozzens, who discusses how a belief in Jesus can overcome a fear of death, and Deborah Savage, who reflects on St. Joseph as our spiritual father.
Listen to their interviews after they have aired:
soundcloud.com/practicingcatholic
Practicing Catholic on Spotify
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