MEMBERS of Brisbane’s Passionist community are hoping they will be able to pray the Stations of the Cross in a newly built, luxuriant outdoor setting this Good Friday.
It will all depend on COVID restrictions.
Passionist parishioner, 89-year-old John Shea has used his woodworking skills to construct an outdoor set of stations set amongst a shady grove of mango trees in the grounds of ‘the Fort’, the meeting place of the Passionist Community in Oxley.
“It looks fantastic,” Mr Shea said after the 14 stations were blessed by Passionist Father Jose Sanchez, on Palm Sunday.
“It’s all about a spiritual pilgrimage for our congregation.
“We’re going to meditate and reflect on Friday and the Passion of Christ is going to be the absolute centrepoint of course.
“It will bring us all together in this wretched COVID time.”
A retired pharmacist and keen woodworker, Mr Shea spent six months designing and building the stations in aluminum framed boxes that are waterproof and attached to trunk of the mango trees.
“We will officially pray them on Good Friday for the first time,” Fr Sanchez said.
“His (John’s) generous donation of materials, work and effort have been a wonderful gift for our community.”
Mr Shea has also produced a booklet to go with the Stations of the Cross setting and he is hoping that pilgrims will visit and spend some time of shady prayer and reflection in the mango grove.
This is a Jubilee year for the Passionist Congregation.
