The Stations of the Cross in Tradition

Tradition holds that the Stations of the Cross devotion began with Our Lady herself. After Jesus' burial, she retraced his steps to Calvary, pausing at each place along the way where his suffering was particularly acute. Tradition also holds that after Jesus' Ascension into Heaven, Mary continued this practice of "making the way of the cross," being joined in this devotion by other disciples and followers of Jesus. Eventually, as the numbers of "followers of the way" increased, and persecution of this new sect intensified, the Roman government constructed barricades to prevent the new faithful from travelling the exact route that Jesus had followed to Calvary. Once the persecutions intensified, St. John took Mary to Ephesus, where, also according to tradition, Mary created a viritual "Way of the Cross," placing markers along the way to represent the moments of Jesus' most intense suffering. This practice was handed down to subsequent generations of Jesus' followers and eventually became known as "The Stations of the Cross," much like the devotion we know today.