About Us
We are a ministry that draws our name and our mission from the fourteen Stations of the Cross. The Stations, found in nearly every Catholic church and in many churches of other faith traditions as well, are the focus of our ministry.
As faithful Catholics, we of XIV Ministries believe the enduring and beautiful tradition of meditating on the Stations of the Cross is one of the most powerful ways of drawing us into communion with Christ.
The Stations of the Cross challenge us to enter the Passion of the Incarnate God and to examine our response to him and the human condition.
“…a disturbing experience that knocks on the door of my heart….”
Pope Benedict XVI said the Way of the Cross is “a school for the examination of conscience, for conversion, for inner transformation and compassion—not as mere sentimentality, as a mere feeling, but as a disturbing experience that knocks on the door of my heart….”
Unfortunately, in many parishes the “school” of the Way is poorly attended and sometimes not even held as a community. As a private prayer the Stations are often forgotten. There are many reasons: Packed schedules. Fish fries. Lack of leaders, participants or resources.
Some adults equate the Stations with their childhood experiences of them and think of them as a children’s religious education activity not meant for adults. Others are simply unfamiliar or unaware. Whatever the explanation, the basic fact is that many of the 21st century faithful have not been drawn to and engaged in a Stations experience that “knocks on the door” of their hearts or truly moves them. As a result, there is a general forgetfulness of the great tradition.
The Great Tradition
The tradition is great. Saints, popes, and liturgists throughout the years have created inspiring and prayerful meditations on the Stations of the cross for the faithful of their times. The desire of XIV Ministries is to build on that tradition and to build up the tradition as a meaningful, moving experience for the faithful today.
To do so, we work to create meditations on the Stations that are beautiful and devout but also dare to be unique and striking experiences that knock on the door of hearts.
We do this by:
--developing Stations that incorporate some or all the visual, musical and theatrical arts
--using inspirational writings of the saints
--approaching the Stations from a unique perspective (crowd members, Mary Magdalene, marriage)
--providing versions of the Stations to parishes for their own use
--providing educational material and events
--providing retreats or parish missions for parishes or groups based on the Stations
Thank you for your interest in XIV Ministries. If you have any questions or would like more information or materials, please contact us (see the “Contact Us” tab). You may also go to our Facebook page.