St. Francis of Assisi in Belleville Celebrates the Family Stations of the Cross

On March 6, parishioners of St. Francis of Assisi in Belleville participated in the parishes’ Family Stations of the Cross. The Stations will be displayed in the gathering area throughout the Lenten season.
“This is an activity that guarantees to provide our families with focus on Jesus during this Holy Season,” said Linda Sheridan, organizer of the event for the second year.
Each of the 14 Stations of the Cross were sponsored by a family. The families each received a 20- by 30-inch poster board and the freedom to artfully design its Station. Once completed, the families presented the posters to be framed before the event.
“I think this is an activity where the entire family can come together and participate at its own level – everyone is welcome,” said Sheridan. “It’s a hands-on experience for parents and children. Parents or children can do a reading, light the candle, blow out the candle, or create the picture. The families get to keep their framed artwork, which is a great reminder of the experience.”
On the following Sunday, Pam Burke, the Director of Religious Education and the religious education teachers brought the students to the church to view the pictures and say the Stations of the Cross together.
While living in St. Louis, Sheridan created and co-coordinated The Family Stations of the Cross at a private Catholic School that her son attended.
“I came up with the idea because we had many families who wanted to attend the regular Stations of the Cross at their parishes but were hesitant because they were self-conscious about their active and sometimes talkative children or restless and crying babies,” added Sheridan. “We wanted to host an event that brought the families together in a spiritual way, teaching the children about Jesus’ passion, but without parents having to worry about their children disrupting the event. We wanted the children and families to participate and to create a spiritual memory that they would remember.”
In 2006, the Sheridan family moved to Wisconsin and, in 2010, they joined the St. Francis of Assisi parish.
“Last year, I proposed the idea and it was welcomed with open arms and turned out to be a beautiful event,” said Sheridan proudly. “The participation at St. Francis is focused on all families, both with children and without. Everyone is welcome to attend.”
The participating families included: First Station, Jesus is condemned to death, the Willegal family; Second Station, Jesus accepts the cross, the Babler family; Third Station, Jesus falls the first time, the Minneci family; Fourth Station, Jesus meets his Mother, the Jordan family; Fifth Station, Simon of Cyrene carries the cross, the Ryan Family; Sixth Station, Veronica wipes the face of Jesus, the Heitzkey Family; Seventh Station, Jesus falls the second time, the Angell family; Eighth Station, Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem, the Shares family; Ninth Station, Jesus falls the third time, the Palmer family; Tenth Station, Jesus is stripped of His garments, the Fraire family; Eleventh Station, Crucifixion: Jesus is nailed to the cross, the Cardoso Reyes family; Twelfth Station, Jesus dies on the Cross, the Kainz family; Thirteenth Station, Jesus’ body is removed from the cross, the Bonomie family; and Fourteenth Station, Jesus is laid in the tomb and covered in incense, Kimberly McKeon and family.
The Teri and Nick Angell family worked on the Seventh Station. Teri ordered a large print of Jesus falling a second time and their five-year-old daughter Rachel colored it almost all by herself.
“This was our second year participating,” said Teri. “During the night of the Stations, Nick read, Rachel blew out the candle, while I chased after our three-year-old. I was thankful for the other families’ smiles throughout the evening. This event gave us a chance to pray the Stations this Lent that we otherwise would not have done with our young children.”
Sheridan added that she is thankful for the support of Father Mick Moon, the members of the parish, and the families who shared their many talents.