The Way of the Cross can be traced to St. Francis of Assisi, who lived at a time when Christian pilgrims could not travel safely to the Holy Land. Francis brought the experience of the Holy Land home, as we bring the Way of the Cross home to our local place of natural beauty. Reflecting on the sufferings of Jesus at each station, we raise the Cross of Christ to remind us that our sister, Mother Earth—our common home—belongs to God, and we ask for strength and unity to care for God’s creation.
These past years with the critical traumas of the relentless COVID pandemic, degradation of lands by fire and flooding, displacement of peoples by drought and rising sea water it seems fitting that we reflect on this unique way of the cross with an emphasis on the eco-conversion that is needed for our time.