CHRISTUS St. Michael Health System will host Stations of the Cross for the public at noon on Good Friday, March 29, at Sisters’ Park on the CHRISTUS St. Michael campus in Texarkana.
“We invite people of all faiths to join us for this special event as a meaningful way of observing Good Friday,” said David Karchut, vice president of mission integration, CHRISTUS St. Michael.
Stations of the Cross, also known as the Way of Sorrows or the Via Crucis, refers to a series of images depicting Jesus Christ on the day of his crucifixion and accompanying prayers, Karchut said. Good Friday is a Christian holiday commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus and his death.
The stations grew out of imitations of Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem, which is believed to be the path Jesus walked to Mount Calvary, where he was crucified.
“The objective of the stations is to help the Christian faithful to make a spiritual pilgrimage through contemplation of the Passion of Christ,” Karchut said.
The devotional exercise of visiting and praying in front of each of the 14 stations and meditating on the Passion of Christ originates from the practice of early Christian pilgrims who visited the scenes of the events in Jerusalem and walked the traditional route from the suspected location of the house of Pontius Pilate to Calvary. Pilate presided over the trial of Jesus and ordered his crucifixion.
Prayerful meditation through the Stations of the Cross is especially common during Lent and on Fridays throughout the year in commemoration of Christ’s crucifixion on Good Friday.
About CHRISTUS St. Michael Health System
CHRISTUS St. Michael Health System, serving as the area’s only heart care and comprehensive cancer care, is nestled within over 128 acres of oak, pine, and dogwood trees along Interstate 30 in Texarkana, Texas. Its central location in Northeast Texas allows CHRISTUS St. Michael to serve residents of Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana.
CHRISTUS St. Michael Health System includes a 311-bed acute care hospital, the 50-bed CHRISTUS St. Michael Rehabilitation Hospital, the 43-bed CHRISTUS St. Michael Hospital – Atlanta, the W. Temple Webber Cancer Center, CHRISTUS St. Michael Imaging Center, CHRISTUS St. Michael Outpatient Rehabilitation Center, CHRISTUS St. Michael Day Rehabilitation; CHRISTUS St. Michael Wound Care Center; CHRISTUS St. Michael Health & Fitness Center, CHRISTUS St. Michael Outpatient Rehabilitation Center – Atlanta, CHRISTUS St. Michael Health & Fitness Center-Atlanta, and more.
