CHARLOTTE — Two Diocese of Charlotte youth ministries joined forces to offer their immersive interpretations of the Stations of the Cross to the public.
Diocesan Youth Ministry Director Paul Kotlowski helped coordinate the event. “This may be the first time ever the Charlotte and Salisbury vicariates (regions within the diocese) collaborated for a joint effort,” he said.
Doors to The Holy Trinity School gym opened at 6 p.m, March 14. Youth ministry volunteers greeted guests with a Lenten treat, a pretzel, and a water bottle before they started the tactile trek through the 14- station Via Dolorosa, designed by the St. Luke of Mint Hill Faith Formation group. Later that evening, St. James the Greater in Concord’s Hispanic youth ministry would take the stage to present live silhouettes of The Stations of the Cross.
An interactive walk
St. Luke Faith Formation leader Katy De’Ath carefully guided guests through the interactive experience with the help of her youth group members.
“I’ve been doing immersive Stations for a couple of years now on a smaller scale,” she said. “I thought, ‘let’s imagine it bigger and better.’ It is a sensory experience. What can you smell and hear and touch and see?”
Attendees roamed between tables highlighting different activities to correlate with each Station. Some people challenged themselves at Station two by lifting two 35-pound sandbags – the approximate weight of Jesus’ cross – while others chose to walk a path that marked the distance Jesus traveled from Antonia Fortress, where He was condemned, to Golgotha, where He was crucified.
At other stations guests washed each other’s feet in little white plastic buckets the way Veronica wiped the face of Jesus. They wrote their burdens - stress, anger, work - on piece of paper and nailed them to the cross, symbolically releasing them to Jesus. Station four had participants write post it notes of gratitude to their mothers. Families lit candles for lost loved ones while viewing Michaelangelo’s Pietà at station 13, where Jesus was taken from the cross. For the last station, the burial of Christ, participants cast their problems signified by rocks into Christ’s tomb - a tent - and left with a glow stick symbolizing Christ’s light.
Stations in silhouette
After the tactile station journey ended, people found their seats as the lights dimmed for the final performance. A white sheet draped across the stage as the 13 St. James confirmation candidates positioned themselves behind it for the show they had rehearsed every Thursday for the past three weeks.
St. James Faith Director Gustavo Gallo said, “We wanted to present The Stations in a different way to send a profound message; it helps the youth to start understanding the journey of Christ better.”
The dress rehearsal the night prior lasted until theater director Juan Duarte thought the performance was flawless - around 10:00 p.m., but there was no fatigue evident, just excitement.
“I am really happy working with these kids. They are very talented and very well-disciplined,” Duarte said. “I taught them how to do silhouettes. I looked at the scenes at every angle to figure out the best positions for them to carry out the scene.”
Shadow-style stations were a first for the St. James youth ministry, which typically performs live stations outside the church on Good Friday. Using costumes and props accumulated over the years, some hand-sewn, some store-bought, the group was well-prepared to make their debut.
A spotlight behind the actors projected their life-size shadow figures onto the white sheet. Mary and Veronica in veils and robes; the centurions with shields, helmets and spears; and Jesus in
His seamless tunic stood ready to pantomime the last steps of Christ.
Speakers recited an introduction, prayer and reflection for each station. During an interim Our Father and Hail Mary, the screen went dark while the actors staged the next scene.
Besides the slight wave of a finger or the quick shifting of weight, the dark silhouettes remained frozen for three minutes intervals. Cast members silently became motionless with their hands, legs and heads holding sometimes awkward positions for optimum effect.
The crew seamlessly cruised through the reenactment, leaving the audience emotionally moved.
Our Lady of Highways Hispanic Youth Ministry in Thomasville, who drove an hour and a half to witness the event, were thankful they made the trip.
Faith Formation Director Blanca Flores said, “It was an exciting evening and a beautiful event. I am glad we were able to be here.”
The night ended with the circle of red light illuminating the empty cross, symbolizing The Living Christ’s victory over death.
Performer Jose Torres has played Jesus in the live stations at St. James for the past four years and enjoyed the new twist. He found a deep connection to Jesus by embodying His role.
“There were times when the cross was heavy because I was thinking of my own sins,” Torres reflected. “In a way, it is tiring.”
Gallo was proud of his performers and eager to hear what they learned from reenacting Jesus’ walk.
“This is very important because conversion is not only during Lent; conversion is a continuous process,” Gallo said. “Come back to Jesus and follow Jesus; we need to stay in that.”
Despite some empty chairs and left-over pretzels, the night was declared a success. Two vicariates came together to create a meaningful journey, said Kotlowski.
— Lisa Geraci
