St. Germaine Parish hosts Living Stations prayer service
The Stations of the Cross has served as a basis for Lenten prayer services since before the Renaissance, and a modern touch is the live enactment of the events surrounding Christ on the day of his Crucifixion.
At 7:30 p.m. Feb. 21, St. Germaine Parish in Bethel Park will host the Living Stations as presented by members of a church with a long tradition of sharing the experience in a way that few others are able to match.
“This is so much more professional and more stunning,” Mary Beth Green, St. Germaine pastoral associate, said about the prayer service by St. Ferdinand Catholic Church in Cranberry Township. “It’s a very powerful reflection on death and resurrection.”
She and other parishioners are excited for the return of the St. Ferdinand Youth Ministry, which has 66 members in eighth through 12th grades participating in the Living Stations, along with 29 adults. They have been rehearsing since early January.
“This year, with Easter being so early, we had to do double rehearsals and Saturday-Sunday practices,” Andrea Wheeler, the church’s youth minister said. But the youngsters are dedicated to the cause: “They want to help make people’s lives more meaningful.”
The Living Stations includes the traditional 14-step devotion presented in tableaux form, with five scenes preceding: Palm Sunday, the Last Supper, the Garden of Gethsemane, the betrayal by Judas, the scourging of Christ. The prayer service concludes with a portrayal of his Resurrection.
St. Ferdinand began presenting the special prayer service 33 years ago, and it has grown to the point where other churches request appearances each year. The 2016 travel schedule began Feb. 14 at North American Martyrs Roman Catholic Parish in Monroeville, and it takes the group as far away as Akron, Ohio, on March 6. The St. Germaine service is the only one in the South Hills, and everyone is invited.
“We just want people to come and join us for an evening of reflection,” Green said.
For more information, visit www.stferdym.org.