Over 400 turn up for combined Way of the Cross at Centenary Cross Monuments

KOTA KINABALU – Over 400 parishioners turned up for the combined Way of the Cross, also known as Stations of the Cross, held at the Centenary Cross Monuments in Sacred Heart Cathedral on 12 Feb 2016.

Fr Rhobby Mojolou, who presided over the devotion, started with the reading of the Gospel of the day in front of the grotto of Our Lady and exhorted the parishioners to always take the Word of God as their source of strength. Assisting him at each station were Deacon Joshua Liew (English) and Agnes Chong (Malay).

The first Way of the Cross is customarily conducted in three languages: English, Malay and Chinese. Subsequent Way of the Cross would be held inside the cathedral every Friday during Lent as follows: English 6:00pm, Bahasa Malaysia 7:00pm and Chinese 8:00pm.

For Roman Catholics throughout the world, the Stations of the Cross are synonymous with Lent, Holy Week and, especially, Good Friday. It commemorates 14 traditional events on the way to Christ’s crucifixion. The majority concern His final walk through the streets of Jerusalem, carrying the Cross.

The Stations originated in medieval Europe when wars prevented Christian pilgrims from visiting the Holy Land. European artists created works depicting scenes of Christ’s journey to Calvary. The faithful installed these sculptures or paintings at intervals along a procession route, inside the parish church or outdoors. Performing the devotion meant walking the entire route, stopping to pray at each “station.”

At Sacred Heart Cathedral, sculptures of the Stations are erected along a procession route outdoors, beginning at the grotto of Mary. The Stations can also be performed privately, at any time of the year. – Linda Edward