A Roman Way of the Cross

It is an unconventional Way of the Cross that brings Christ’s Passion from the streets and alleys of Jerusalem to Rome, where some of the very first Christians, including Saints Peter and Paul were martyred for their faith.

For the last several years, the English speaking Justice and Peace Promoters of men’s and women’s religious congregations based in Rome have organized a Stations of the Cross that passes through some of the eternal city’s historic sites of worship and others laden with deep symbolic importance that put Christ’s suffering into a modern context.

Sr. Toni Harris, Justice and Peace Promoter for Dominican Sisters International calls it “an alternative” or “contemporary” Way of the Cross and says the idea behind this particularly Roman pilgrimage was to encourage the spiritual enrichment of those working in her field and others who wish to participate.

Each year a new itinerary can be chosen, but as an example, she points to the Lenten season in 2012 when the “contemporary” Way of the Cross began at the catacombs of San Calisto on the Appian Way, one of the ancient consular roads leading into Rome.

Sr. Toni says San Calisto stands out as one site that poignantly illustrates the sacrifice of some of the Church’s early Christians who lost their lives for their faith.

“This is a burial place that began in the second century and it was outside the city walls because it was not permitted to be buried inside the city walls…. So Christians, who were most often slaves, and other poor people who didn’t have money to buy land for burial, they were often burying family members and were buried themselves in the catacombs. San Calisto is reputed to be the largest of the catacombs with about a half a million tombs in five levels dug into the volcanic earth.”

“It took on particular significance for me because there are at least fifty martyrs buried in that catacomb and in fact, St. Cecilia was one of them although her remains were later moved to another location. At that spot, we prayed for people today who are victims of persecution for their faith….”

Sr. Toni describes some of the sites on this Way of the Cross, including the Church of Domine Quo Vadis, inviting us to reflect on Christ’s Calvary today in the form of human trafficking and slavery, child soldiers, poverty, social and economic injustice and more in this program produced by Tracey McClure.

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