Sentence:  But the belief which became imprinted on him was that of the onerousness of God's ‘call', a <WSD>"via crucis</WSD>" of religious duties – prayers, fasting, church attendance, Bible reading, soul-searching – from which he equally continually shied away 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  Any extremely arduous or painful experience requiring strength or courage to endure.