Students re-enact Christ’s passion

By Sylvia L. White, The Catholic Sun
April 5, 2007

Throughout Lent, Catholics remember Christ’s passion through the Stations of the Cross. But the depictions aren’t always inanimate paintings or carvings.

Fourth-graders at St. Francis Xavier School helped their classmates reflect on Jesus’ death and resurrection by reenacting the Stations March 23.

“The Stations are a really important part of faith,” teacher Rita Patton said. “The fourth-graders take this very seriously, trying to reach everyone in the audience.”

It’s been a tradition at St. Francis Xavier for students to portray the passion for the whole school in the morning, then again for parents and parishioners in the evening.

Each of the 60 fourth-grade students had a part to play as a character, a reader or a orchestrating the lights.

“The Holy Spirit is working through you now,” Patton tells the students just before they begin the Stations.

“It’s a beautiful prayer and a wonderful preparation for Easter,” teacher Nancy Grucky said. “There is a great sense of community within the children.”

“I think it’s really fun and the kids can stay quiet because they can see it visually,” said fourth-grader Carmel McCullough, who introduced all the Stations.

Other diocesan school children will participate in faith-building activities throughout Holy Week.

Most Holy Trinity will have a soup lunch benefiting St. Joseph the Worker, a prayer service including the entire school, a Seder meal and a Passion play at 10 a.m. April 5.

Seventh-graders at Ss. Simon and Jude School will be dramatizing the Passion at the cathedral after the 8:30 a.m. Mass April 4 and eighth-graders will enact living Stations on Good Friday at 1 p.m.

Contact a local parish or school to find out about other prayer services and activities during Holy Week.