What are the Stations of the Cross? Do all churches recognize them?
The Stations of the Cross are a primarily Catholic devotional practice that commemorates the death of Jesus Christ. There are 14 stations, each one standing for an event that occurred prior to Jesus death. Commonly, plaques depicting each station are hung along the walls of a church. As a person makes his way past each station, he meditates and prays about that event. This practice has been around since early Christians visited the Holy Land in the 400s. In the 1300s, the Franciscans began to promote this type of devotion in earnest in the Holy Land. Since then, it has become a common practice in Catholic churches. These are the stations: These are the stations: 1. Christ is condemned to death. 2. The cross is laid upon him. 3. He has His first fall. 4. He meets His Blessed Mother. 5. Simon of Cyrene is made to bear the cross. 6. Christs face is wiped by Veronica. 7. He falls a second time. 8. He meets the women of Jerusalem. 9. He falls a third time. 10. He is stripped of His garments
