Stations of the Cross using New Media

I’ve been to our parish’s Stations of the Cross a handful of times, and I felt I understood something integral about my Catholicism each time.

Lucky for me, I don’t have to wait until the Fridays of Lent to embrace this devotion, and thanks to new media resources like apps, YouTube videos, and downloadable audio, I can share it with all of you!

App-Friendly Versions

Pauline Books & Media recently released “Stations of the Cross: Walk with Me” for both Android and iOS. There’s a great review over at CatholicMom.com. I think this is one I’ll be using as I prepare for Good Friday.

Via Crucis: Catholic Meditations on the Way of the Cross by St. Francis of Assisi, available on iOS, uses St. Francis of Assisi’s meditations on each of the stations. Given the name of our new pope, this seems to be an appropriate choice this year.

Pray with Audio

I’d be remiss not to point you to the Rosary Army audio download of the Stations of the Cross.

And if you want a real treat, go back to episode 148 of iPadre, when Father Jay Finelli presents the Stations of the Cross based on the reflections of Anne Catherine Emmerich and a Spanish mystic. It’s one of the most powerful presentations I’ve heard.

Moving Stations of the Cross on YouTube

Last week, in our last religious education class before Easter, I used this playlist (also embedded below) to present the Stations of the Cross to my 5th grade class. I worried that it might be too much for them, but I don’t think it was. That said, I think it did a great job of making the events leading up to Easter more real, more tangible, more shocking.

And they are shocking. I find myself getting desensitized and even bored…it’s so easy to forget just what Easter means!

When I shared that set of Stations with my parish’s Director of Religious Education, she started doing some searching on YouTube, and she found “Experience the Stations” (embedded below). It’s a different approach to the Stations, and I found the nitty-gritty appealing. I also liked the use of current music.

Your turn:

What’s your favorite new media resource for praying Stations of the Cross?

Sarah Reinhard

Sarah Reinhard continues to be shocked and delighted that her life as a grown-up involve horses, writing, and sparkly dress shoes. In her work in the New Evangelization as a Catholic wife, mom, writer, parish employee, and catechist, she’s learned a lot of lessons, had a lot of laughs, and consumed mass amounts of coffee. She’s online at SnoringScholar.com and CatholicMom.com, and is the author of a number of books.