"From the earliest times
Christians flocked to the Holy Land to visit the places sanctified
by the events in our Lord's earthly life. Especially popular
was the pilgrimage along the path our Lord took on the first
Good Friday. This pilgrimage was made with great devotion, the
procession stopping (or making "stations") for prayer
and meditation at the various traditional points where special
events took place. For those who were unable to visit the Holy
Land, the custom arose throughout Europe of setting up replicas
of the different incidents along the Way of Sorrow, so that the
faithful could make spiritual pilgrimages. After a long development,
these little shrines became restricted to fourteen and it is
now customary to set them up along the walls of Christian churches." - St. Augustine's Prayer Book
¶ When done as a corporate
devotion, the following form can be used at every station:
+ We adore thee, O Christ, and we
bless thee. Because by thy Holy Cross thou hast redeemed the world.
¶ The reading and
prayer follows. Then,
LORD have mercy upon us. Christ have mercy upon us. LORD have mercy upon us
+ May the souls of the faithful departed,
through the mercy of God, rest in peace. And may light perpetual shine upon them. Amen.