Sights & Sounds: Sacred Heart’s Stations of the Cross
The devotion known as the Stations of the Cross allows followers of Christ to recall and enter into his passion and death. The tradition has been traced to the Middle Ages, when pilgrims to the Holy Land sought out the places where Jesus lived out his last hours.
A journey to Jerusalem was arduous and dangerous in those days, and relatively few Christians were able to make the trip. Instead, they began to make spiritual pilgrimages through devotions like the Stations of the Cross.
Art has long played a role in following the stations. Whether portrayed by actors or recreated in paint or stone, images of the suffering Christ and those he encountered on the road to Calvary helped penitent souls enter more deeply into the passion narrative.
In fact, the fourteen Stations of the Cross can be found inside almost every Catholic church in the world. There are many striking examples in the Archdiocese of Newark – including the beautiful Station of the Cross mosaics in Newark’s Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart.
Stations of glass and gold leaf
Construction of the cathedral building began in 1899 and would take 55 years to complete, due to design changes and various controversies.
When it was finally time to decorate the interior, Archbishop Thomas Walsh selected a man he trusted to supervise the work. Gonippo Raggi was a professor and professional artist who had provided murals for many churches in the region, including in the archbishop’s previous diocese, Trenton.
Designing the magnificent cathedral’s interior artwork was no easy task. The job required Raggi to constantly travel between Newark, Italy (where the statues were carved and the bells cast), and Germany (where the stained-glass windows were created by F.X. Zettler).
Most of the interior decorations followed the Gothic style, in keeping with the cathedral’s architecture. Raggi had a different idea for the Stations of the Cross, however, as is explained in Brian Regan’s history of the cathedral, Gothic Pride:
“(The) Stations of the Cross would be treated, Raggi had declared, ‘in an original way,’ and these fourteen scenes of Christ’s Passion were composed in mosaics of smalt, small pieces of colored and gold-leafed glass, produced by Zettler. They are set in a reredos over marble altars. In the previous generation, architect Ditmars had said that the ‘stations and confessionals gracefully alternating down the side aisles will overcome any barren effect which has met the eyes of the observer upon entering the side aisles of other cathedrals.’ Among all the Sacred Heart’s appointments, the Byzantine-influenced mosaic panels broke most sharply from the cathedral’s Gothic-style…”
Of course, the best way to take in Raggi’s work is to visit the Archdiocese of Newark’s Mother Church in person. For those unable to make the trip due to distance or physical limitations, however, it is still possible to undertake a spiritual journey there and follow Jesus as he carries His cross. A guide with suggestions for different ways you can pray the Stations of the Cross can be found HERE.
To view the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart’s Stations of the Cross mosaics, click HERE.
Each week, Jersey Catholic features the rich and inspiring “Sights & Sounds” of the Archdiocese of Newark. Visit us regularly to explore our vibrant parishes, sacred artworks, historic landmarks, and the faithful men, women and youth who bring our Catholic community to life.
Featured image: The sixth Station of the Cross as depicted in the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark, NJ. (Photos by John Touhey / Archdiocese of Newark)
