The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1915-04-03
Spot Where Christ Stood.

to be in the city often take part and
| thus make the journey to Calvary.
Spot Where Christ Stood.
The building in which Plate lived
and in which his judgment hall was
located is now used for a barracks
for the Turkish soldiers. One portion
is also used for a tribunal and a
prison. The spot on which our Lord
stood when Plate delivered Him to
the Jews to be crucified is here, and
is indicated by stones inserted for
the purpose. The authorities permit
the holding of the devotional exer.
cises, and, indeed, the wonder is that
the identity of this and so many other
sacred places is known after SO many
centuries and despite the hatred OF
Christianity felt and often exhibited
by the Turks and others during diff
ferent centuries.
The second station, which is that in
which Jesus takes the Cross on His
shoulders" is to the east of the first
and is indicated by tablet in the
Church of the Flagellation," bearing
in Latin the words, Here Jesus was
scourged" The third station, His
first fall" is marked by a broken
column which lies in the street out
side wall which encloses the convent
and church of the Armenian Catholic
Sisters. The street is known as the
Street of the Dolours," and leads to
the western gate of the city beyond
which is Mount Calvary.
Follow Gospel and Tradition.
Some of the stations have been
placed by following the gospel nara
tive and others by following tradi
tons in regard to what happened as
Jesus was led to Calvary. Thus the
fourth station, Jesus meets His
Blessed Mother" is marked by two
mosaics in the floor of the chapel OF
the Armenian Sisters, called "Ou1
Lady of Fright" because built on that
part of the street where the Blessed
Mother, fastened to meet her con
demned Son and offer Him her sym
pathy in His suffering. Near this
spot also is the House of Simon OF
Cyrene, who was forced to assist Our
Lord in carrying His Cross, because
the Jews feared He might die before
reaching Calvary. This is the fifth
station and is indicated by an oratory
in a small room erected by the Fran
ciscans. The sixth station, is located
in a small room of an ancient Jewish
home farther along on the ascending
street, in which group represents
our Lord, bearing the Cross, standing
before the kneeling figure of Veronica
who offers Him a towel
Place Now a Busy Street.
The spot chosen as the place of the
Second FALL or seventh station is
at the side of noisy and busy por
ton of the street 1t is shown by 6
metal tablet above doorway through
a massive wall, which is said to be
part of the enclosure of ancient Jer
usalem. Beyond the door is an ora
tory kept by the Franciscans and tt
the right remaining column of the
masonry that made the west gate o.
the city, which was known as the
Gate of Judgment, because the sen
fences of the condemned were posted
there. 1t is declared to be beyond {
| doubt that Jesus suffered His SECOND
fall at this gate.
The eighth station, in which "Jesuf
meets the women of jerusalem" il
distinguishable by the presence Of
a granite cross set in the wall of the
German hospice, which stands more
than fifty yards beyond the old ives
wall of Jerusalem. This wall was de
stroyed and the city extended unit
it included even the hill of Calvary
A broken shaft on the left side o
the entrance to a Coptic Church anC
convent situated off the busy stree
is the ninth station, the third fall o
Jesus.
Church of Holy SepuIchre.
The last five of the fourteen sta
lions are within the Basilica, O
Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which
is built over the rock of Calvary
Four of the stations are on plat
form of stone built on the right of tn
entrance to the court of the grea
Basilica, and which is on a leve
with the summit of the rock, the spo
where Jesus was crucified. The plat
form is the floor of chapel within
which are pointed out the place
where Jesus was stripped of Hi
garments" nailed to the cross,
"died on the cross" There are tire
affairs. Two are Catholic affairs an
one belongs to the Russian Church
| At these are recited the tenth, eleV
; enth, twelfth and thirteenth stations.
The fourteenth and last station G
i the Via Dolorosa is at the Holy Sepu
) chre of our Lord, which is underneat
: the dome of the Basilica. The hi:
, tory of the devotion of the Way c
the Cross is most interesting, as, il
deed, is every thing connected wit
: the Catholic religion. This devotio
) has grown and become general, a
though it was not commonly pra'
. tised in the early centuries. A
r Christianity became established tn
. story of Christ's sufferings awakene
s interest in the "Holy places" and j
: order to wrest them from the contrC
. lof unbelievers the crusades wer
: undertaken by Christian princes an