Placement of the Stations of the Cross in church

[TruthSeekerNow]

I have searched but have not found this answer, so hopefully someone here knows.

Our parish recently repainted the inside of the church and for some reason, when the Stations of the Cross were refinished and put back up, they now go in the opposite direction. Facing the altar, they used to go from the front left, around the back and finish at the front right. Now they go in the opposite direction, starting from the front right and finishing at the front left.

Does anyone know if there is any rules regarding how the Stations should be oriented in the church? Every other Catholic church I’ve been to have the Stations going from front left around to front right.

Please tell me if I am nit-picking and I will gladly accept that answer .

God bless!

 

[MarkThompson]

I have searched but have not found this answer, so hopefully someone here knows.

Our parish recently repainted the inside of the church and for some reason, when the Stations of the Cross were refinished and put back up, they now go in the opposite direction. Facing the altar, they used to go from the front left, around the back and finish at the front right. Now they go in the opposite direction, starting from the front right and finishing at the front left.

Does anyone know if there is any rules regarding how the Stations should be oriented in the church? Every other Catholic church I’ve been to have the Stations going from front left around to front right.

Please tell me if I am nit-picking and I will gladly accept that answer .

God bless!

There is no rule, and in fact parishes are not actually required to have Stations of the Cross at all. For what it’s worth, the stations at my parish go around from front right to front left. Others have them all in one line, or in various other configurations.

 

[laszlo]

I remember from Hungary going clockwise: from the lesson-side (right) back to the Gospel side. In the church where are am home here, it is counterclockwise.

 

[TruthSeekerNow]

Thanks! I didn’t realize that churches are not required to have the Stations of the Cross.

 

[Digitonomy]

I think we discussed the whole topic of counterclockwise processions, including the stations, a few years ago. If you do an advanced search for my name and the word “clockwise,” you’ll probably find it. However, I don’t think we came to any definite conclusion why processions tend to be counterclockwise.

 

[MarkThompson]

For what it’s worth, here is the portion of Built of Living Stones, the U.S. bishops’ chief document on church construction and furnishing, that deals with the Stations:
The Stations of the Cross
§ 132. The Stations of the Cross originated early in the history of the Church. It was the custom of the faithful to follow the way walked by Christ from Pilate’s house in Jerusalem to Calvary. As time went on, pilgrims to the holy city desired to continue this devotion when they returned home. In the fourteenth century when the Franciscans were entrusted with the care of the holy places in Jerusalem they promoted the use of images depicting the Lord’s Way of the Cross.

§ 133. Whether celebrated by a community or by individuals, the Stations of the Cross offer a way for the faithful to enter more fully into the passion and death of the Lord and to serve as another manifestation of the pilgrim Church on its homeward journey. Traditionally the stations have been arranged around the walls of the nave of the church, or, in some instances, around the gathering space or even the exterior of the church, marking the devotion as a true journey. *footnote 153: Often churches have images as well as the crosses that mark the fourteen or fifteen stations. While the depictions of the passion are desirable, only the crosses are needed. The images that accompany the crosses are optional.]

§ 134. The Stations enjoy a long tradition. In recent times some parishes have clustered the stations in one place. While such an arrangement may be expedient, it is not desirable because it eliminates space for movement, which characterizes this devotion as a “way” of the cross.