Page 19 - Holyland Magazine - Catholic Edition 2014
P. 19
Bringing the milestones
of Catholic faith to life
and infusing them with
meaning through tangible
encounters with history
By Jill Daly
down Via Dolorosa and the Stations of the Cross Via Dolorosa, station 6
I grew up in a strong Catholic family;
For me, it was a living testament of the journey
that marked the end of Jesus’ earthly time. It
the church was a very central part of my
brought me closer to my Catholic faith and
upbringing. We attended church every
Sunday, Catechism classes during the week, closer to understanding the joy, anguish and
and celebrated the important milestones of sacriice that was made for me. It made it
come alive more than I could have imagined
our faith with the sacraments of Baptism,
Confession, Communion, and Conirmation. looking at those beautiful carvings that hung
My mother volunteered in the church, taught in the church.
Catechism classes, and encouraged me to
volunteer and help as well. Many years later I had the opportunity to visit
Israel. It was a true journey of faith, a journey
Each Sunday our family of ive would ile into that fortiied my relationship with my Christian
our pew at mass. As mass began, I would belief and upbringing. I actually walked in
the footsteps of Jesus, His ministry, His life.
be wrapped in the comforting sense of
familiarity of the rituals that I had known all I stood on the shores of the Sea of Galilee.I
my life. I would study the walls of the church walked down the hillside where He delivered
seeing the carvings depicting the Stations of the Sermon on the Mount. I visited the Church
the Cross. These beautiful wooden works of in Cana where He performed His irst miracle.
art told the story of Jesus’ encounters with And I wept in the Garden of Gethsemane
Pontius Pilate and depicted His cruciixion on where He wept, where He prayed in anguish
the cross, recounting in stunning detail and to His Heavenly Father. These are the stories
mastery, His last days on earth. remembered from childhood, stories I’ve
cherished from my parents’ teaching, stories
As a freshman entering high school, I really I’ve applied from my church’s teaching, and
stories I’ve garnered from my own study.
began to understand these works of art.
Each Lenten season, my church performed
On my irst trip to Jerusalem, I was reconnected
a passion play "Stations of the Cross."
The Youth Group would travel to churches to the journey and understanding that I irst
throughout our area and present the story truly began experiencing with the "Stations
of Christ’s cruciixion. It was a dramatic of the Cross" passion play from my years in
reenactment, starting on Palm Sunday and high school. Entering the Old City from the
concluding with Christ dying on the cross
Lion’s gate, I began the procession of the
Via Dolorosa. In Latin, Via Dolorosa means
on Good Friday. For weeks leading up to
the “Way of Grief.” It is at the start of this site
the celebration of Easter, we dedicated
where Jesus was tried and convicted and
Fridays and Sundays to rehearsals and
the street ends at the place of His cruciixion,
performances. We brought a vibrant and
real enactment of this story to churches in Golgotha, where the Church of the Holy
the area. Sepulchre is located.
Via Dolorosa, station 2. Photos: www.goisrael.com 19
of Catholic faith to life
and infusing them with
meaning through tangible
encounters with history
By Jill Daly
down Via Dolorosa and the Stations of the Cross Via Dolorosa, station 6
I grew up in a strong Catholic family;
For me, it was a living testament of the journey
that marked the end of Jesus’ earthly time. It
the church was a very central part of my
brought me closer to my Catholic faith and
upbringing. We attended church every
Sunday, Catechism classes during the week, closer to understanding the joy, anguish and
and celebrated the important milestones of sacriice that was made for me. It made it
come alive more than I could have imagined
our faith with the sacraments of Baptism,
Confession, Communion, and Conirmation. looking at those beautiful carvings that hung
My mother volunteered in the church, taught in the church.
Catechism classes, and encouraged me to
volunteer and help as well. Many years later I had the opportunity to visit
Israel. It was a true journey of faith, a journey
Each Sunday our family of ive would ile into that fortiied my relationship with my Christian
our pew at mass. As mass began, I would belief and upbringing. I actually walked in
the footsteps of Jesus, His ministry, His life.
be wrapped in the comforting sense of
familiarity of the rituals that I had known all I stood on the shores of the Sea of Galilee.I
my life. I would study the walls of the church walked down the hillside where He delivered
seeing the carvings depicting the Stations of the Sermon on the Mount. I visited the Church
the Cross. These beautiful wooden works of in Cana where He performed His irst miracle.
art told the story of Jesus’ encounters with And I wept in the Garden of Gethsemane
Pontius Pilate and depicted His cruciixion on where He wept, where He prayed in anguish
the cross, recounting in stunning detail and to His Heavenly Father. These are the stories
mastery, His last days on earth. remembered from childhood, stories I’ve
cherished from my parents’ teaching, stories
As a freshman entering high school, I really I’ve applied from my church’s teaching, and
stories I’ve garnered from my own study.
began to understand these works of art.
Each Lenten season, my church performed
On my irst trip to Jerusalem, I was reconnected
a passion play "Stations of the Cross."
The Youth Group would travel to churches to the journey and understanding that I irst
throughout our area and present the story truly began experiencing with the "Stations
of Christ’s cruciixion. It was a dramatic of the Cross" passion play from my years in
reenactment, starting on Palm Sunday and high school. Entering the Old City from the
concluding with Christ dying on the cross
Lion’s gate, I began the procession of the
Via Dolorosa. In Latin, Via Dolorosa means
on Good Friday. For weeks leading up to
the “Way of Grief.” It is at the start of this site
the celebration of Easter, we dedicated
where Jesus was tried and convicted and
Fridays and Sundays to rehearsals and
the street ends at the place of His cruciixion,
performances. We brought a vibrant and
real enactment of this story to churches in Golgotha, where the Church of the Holy
the area. Sepulchre is located.
Via Dolorosa, station 2. Photos: www.goisrael.com 19
