"Lord Jesus, by the power of your spirit who lives within each of us, help us to be brave, as we rise to live more selflessly and generously. Help us to continue to love those who reject us for doing the right thing.”

April 13, 2020

AUGUSTA---Despite some obstacles to overcome, eighth graders at St. Michael School in Augusta carried on a Good Friday tradition, presenting the Living Stations of the Cross to fellow students.

“Helping them to connect with Jesus' last earthly moments helps them to see the power of the sacrifice that he made for all of us. It gives them a deeper understanding of their faith,” said Alyssa Benedict, the students’ religion teacher.

Not being able to gather at St. Mary of the Assumption Church in Augusta as they usually do, the Stations of the Cross were shared from the eighth graders’ homes through a Zoom feed, with the other students watching. The presentation was also delayed from Good Friday until the Monday after Easter because a storm on Holy Thursday left many without power.

The eighth graders each read one of the Stations of the Cross and a meditation, and then led fellow students in praying the Our Father.

“I think that it is important for them to continue this tradition, even if it's different this year, because participating in the Living Stations is the culmination of all they've learned over the years in their religion classes. Walking through Jesus' last earthly footsteps helps them to develop a deeper and more loving relationship with Jesus, which is an experience I did not want them to miss out on,” said Benedict. 

Stations of the Cross, which are often prayed on Good Friday and during the season of Lent, take the faithful on a journey through 14 steps of Christ’s Passion and death. The stations shared by the students began with Jesus’ condemnation at the hands of Pontius Pilate and concluded with his body being laid in the tomb.

“When I see the great stone sealing your tomb, I feel alone and abandoned. Even though you sometimes seem distant or absent in my life, help me always to believe in your closeness and loving presence,” one of the students shared following the final station.

The eighth graders actually presented the Stations of the Cross twice, once for students in grades pre-K to 3 and then for fourth through seventh graders.

St. Michael School students and staff have received praise for the way they have adapted following the closure of schools due to the coronavirus pandemic. Thanks to preparations that began back in February, there was little interruption when the school transitioned to distance learning by using platforms such as Zoom and Google Classroom.