THE STORY OF THE STATIONS OF THE CROSS
On September 3, 1998, Francis Cardinal George, OMI, dedicated the restored Stations of the Cross. As the Cardinal waked down the aisle to bless each station, he began to pause longer and longer at each one. When he arrived at Station #9, he stopped completely and was intrigued by the silver helmet on the head of one of the soldiers. He then completed blessing the balance of the stations. Near the conclusion of the dedication ceremony, Fr. Tom Conde revealed that the Stations originally hung in St. Francis Hospital in Evanston, Illinois. The Archbishop slapped his knee and grinned from ear to ear. Cardinal George then stood and told the congregation HIS history of those very stations.
As a teenager, the Archbishop was stricken with polio, which necessitated many prolonged hospital stays. In those days, patients were isolated for fear of infection. The nurses would wheel him down to the hospital chapel just to get him out of his room and give him a change of scenery. To occupy his time, he would pray the rosary and the Stations of the Cross -- THESE VERY STATIONS which now hung on the walls of St. James! He was so pleased to see them again!
The Stations of the Cross were completely restored in January, 1998. It took Mr. Robert Widiger from Creative Care Restoration in Highland, Indiana, 14 months to complete the work. He said that he really enjoyed doing the restoration because the stations were so beautiful and sturdy. Please keep in your prayers the intentions and the donors that made this project possible.
"Used with permission of the Author"
As a teenager, the Archbishop was stricken with polio, which necessitated many prolonged hospital stays. In those days, patients were isolated for fear of infection. The nurses would wheel him down to the hospital chapel just to get him out of his room and give him a change of scenery. To occupy his time, he would pray the rosary and the Stations of the Cross -- THESE VERY STATIONS which now hung on the walls of St. James! He was so pleased to see them again!
The Stations of the Cross were completely restored in January, 1998. It took Mr. Robert Widiger from Creative Care Restoration in Highland, Indiana, 14 months to complete the work. He said that he really enjoyed doing the restoration because the stations were so beautiful and sturdy. Please keep in your prayers the intentions and the donors that made this project possible.
"Used with permission of the Author"