St. Donatus and the Outdoor Way of the Cross

The town of St. Donatus is on the eastern edge of Iowa, between Bellevue and Dubuque, and is known for being a settlement of Luxembourgers. (the weekly Luxemburger Gazette was published in nearby Dubuque, Iowa from 1871 until 1918).

The St. Donatus Catholic Church is home to St. Donatus’ Outdoor Way of the Cross. The Way of the Cross is a steep climb through the cedar trees along a path dotted with fourteen small stations. Each brick station contains a lithograph of an image corresponding to a stage of Jesus’ day of crucifixion. The path leads to a small chapel high on the hill.

The traditional 14 stations of the Way of the Cross (from Wikipedia):

1. Jesus is condemned to death
2. Jesus carries his cross
3. Jesus falls the first time
4. Jesus meets his mother
5. Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus carry the cross
6. Veronica wipes the face of Jesus
7. Jesus falls the second time
8. Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem
9. Jesus falls the third time
10. Jesus is stripped of his garments
11. Crucifixion: Jesus is nailed to the cross
12. Jesus dies on the cross
13. Jesus is taken down from the cross (Deposition or Lamentation)
14. Jesus is laid in the tomb.