Nearly 100 Catholic high school students gathered in downtown Cleveland on March 13 for a unique Lenten observance: Solidarity Stations.
Sponsored by Catholic Schools for Peace and Justice, the Diocesan Social Action Office and the Office for Human Life, the inaugural event brought together students from Saint Joseph Academy, Lake Catholic, Magnificat, Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin, St. Edward, Saint Ignatius and Walsh Jesuit high schools for a morning of prayer, reflection and witness.
The Solidarity Stations combined the traditional prayer of the 14 Stations of the Cross with Catholic Social Teaching, calling to mind a social justice issue at each station.
(See photo gallery above.)
Students walked through downtown Cleveland, stopping at 14 different locations to reflect on Christ’s suffering and on the suffering experienced in our community and world. These reflections focused on the scourges of injustice such as human trafficking, violence and homelessness, among other pressing social issues.
Beginning at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, students were welcomed by Father Joe Mamich, cathedral pastor and diocesan vicar for clergy and religious. Other stops included locations such as Cleveland City Hall, the Justice Center, Public Square, the Old Stone Church and Peace Monument. At each stop, students led a reflection and prayer. Many participants remarked that the unusually windy weather conditions were an opportunity to share in the suffering and hardship of those for whom they prayed, and with the suffering of Christ.
The 13th Station, commemorating the moment Jesus was taken down from the cross, was especially impactful. Student leaders called to mind those affected by war and genocide, reciting a reflection and prayer for peace both in English and Arabic.
Founded in 2002, CSPJ is an organization of Catholic high school educators “committed to student formation within the framework of Catholic Social Teaching … rooted in the belief that all humans have dignity and are loved by God.”
Click here for more information about CSPJ.