Migrant Stations of the Cross

As I’ve mentioned, my bronchitis kept me from observing the Triduum. Having missed that important liturgical movement, I find myself dipping into various moments of Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Day.

In my parish, we say the Stations of the Cross at noon on Good Friday in our courtyard. The stations are closely spaced, so one just shuffles a few feet to the right around the courtyard for this liturgy. It’s never felt quite right to me, for one never has the experience of “walking.” One doesn’t even mildly exert oneself. We may be able to share in Christ’s suffering in our imaginations, but we certainly don’t break a sweat from the physical exertion.

So I was quite caught by this story out of Arizona, which our friends at the Episcopal Café reported:

The first Migrant Stations of the Cross, the stations were painted on the fence in observance of Good Friday, Frontera de Cristo (Presbyterian) and Episcopal Border Ministries members and supporters prayed at 15 Stations of the Cross positioned along a 2.5-mile stretch of the US/Mexico border east of Douglas. At 5:30am, they started their two and a half hour, 7,200 step prayer walk in the hopes of comprehensive immigration reform and for a desert without bloodshed and violence, including the recent death of rancher Robert Krentz. The Stations of the Cross reenact the important steps in the life of Christ, from his condemnation to his death on the cross and his entombment.

All the photos are by Mark Henle of The Arizona Republic, available here.

I would like to participate in a Stations of the Cross like this one!

See the full photo essay at http://www.azcentral.com/commphotos/azcentral/14213/16/