These plaques, numbered from 1 to 14, depict vingnettes of the Passion of Our Lord.  They are spaced about the walls of the Church, starting on the eastern wall closest to the Sanctuary.  It is customary, especially during the season of Lent, to pray and reflect on our Lord’s suffering and sacrifice during his final hours.  These plaques are a tool that help us focus our prayers and meditations. The stations of the cross is related to the pilgramage undertaken by many of the faithful to Jerusalem’s Via Dolorasa (The Way of Sorrows), where the final steps of Jesus are retraced.  Long time parishioners at St. Patrick’s will recognize these plaques from the old church in the school building.

To pray the stations, the individual or group may offer an opening prayer followed by visiting the various stations while praying and reflecting on the event depicted.  A closing prayer may appropriate.  No particular sets of prayers are prescribed by the Church, although there are many that have been disseminated.  The devotion can be performed at any time or place.