Shining light into darkness
Feb. 26—PERU — Valley views. Candlelight. Lenten Stations of the Cross.
"This year we held them outdoors in the snow at Mother Cabrini Shrine and St. Patrick's Oratory, which is part of St. Augustine's in West Peru," Msgr. Dennis J. Duprey, pastor of St. Augustine's Church, said.
"We had a little over 40 attend. I was surprised. It was six o'clock at night, so it was really dusk.
"We had the traditional 14 Stations of the Cross, which is also referred to as the Way of the Cross that Jesus walked on his way to the Calvary (Golgotha) from the time of his judgment and his walk to Calvary."
The Stations, which can be pictures or carvings, mark the various incidents that happened according to scriptural accounts of the Passion of Christ.
According to Britannica.com, the Stations of the Cross are as follows:
(1) Jesus is condemned to death, (2) He is made to bear his cross, (3) He falls the first time, (4) He meets his mother, (5) Simon of Cyrene is made to bear the cross, (6) Veronica wipes Jesus' face, (7) He falls the second time, (8) The women of Jerusalem weep over Jesus, (9) He falls the third time, (10) He is stripped of his garments, (11) He is nailed to the cross, (12) He dies on the cross, (13) He is taken down from the cross, and (14) He is placed in the sepulchre.
"Those traditional 14, they can be divided up any number of ways, but that is the way the Catholic Church has done it over centuries," Duprey said.
"There is a stop at each one of them, usually a reference to a scripture that would refer to it, and a silent prayer. Then, you move to the next one."
At Mother Cabrini Shrine, the Stations of the Cross are spaced over an acre of land.
"They are to the left of the Shrine," he said.
"They are to the left of St. Patrick's Church. It's a gorgeous view of the valley below.
"At the time, it was slightly raining, sprinkling in Peru, and beautiful snow that came down in West Peru while we were up there on the hillside."
Parishioners carried the Crucifix, candles and umbrellas as they walked the stations.
"We had it outdoors, so we could do social distancing, keep everybody safe and just move around," Duprey said.
"For those who were not so sure of foot were inside afterward at St. Patrick's. That was nice, too. There were fewer people there because most of them decided to come outside."
This was the largest group that has come out over the last several years.
"We're going to hold that every week at six o'clock at Mother Cabrini's through Lent," Duprey said.
Upcoming dates are March 3, 10, 17, 24, and possibly March 31.
"They last for about 20 to 25 minutes at the most," he said.
"We have pathways that go through the snow. They can stand at a big distance or they can come in closer.
"They can stand away from people, but you can always hear. The voices will carry through the whole place."
For more information, call 518-643-2435.
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