St. Donatus and the Outdoor Way of the Cross

View of St. Donatus from the Way

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.

Start of the Path
Start of the Path

roots
roots

Station One
Stations One through Four

View of St. Donatus from the Way
View of St. Donatus from the Way

View of St. Donatus Catholic Church from the hill
View of St. Donatus Catholic Church from the hill

Station Thirteen
Station Thirteen

The Chapel at the end of the Way
The Chapel at the end of the Way

Chapel Windows
Chapel Windows

 

Northwestern Illinois

Horseshoe Mound

Horseshoe Mound and Casper Bluff Land & Water Reserve

True North
True North

Watching
Watching

Mushroom Standing
Mushroom Standing

Summer Grasses
Summer Grasses

Post and Wire
Post and Wire

Mississippi River
Mississippi River

Through the Trees
Through the Trees

Green and Light
Green and Light

Broken Stone
Broken Stone

Stone in Morning
Stone in Morning

Stones in Sunlight
Stones in Sunlight

Trunk
Trunk

Pine Base
Pine Base

Forrest View
Forrest View

Branch of Shade
Branch of Shade

Vista
Vista

Mushroom Community
Mushroom Community

Morning Rays
Morning Rays

Weeds
Weeds

Population of Green
Population of Green

Opening
Opening

Bells
Bells

Leaf and Stone
Leaf and Stone

Greenery
Greenery

Flower Portrait
Flower Portrait

Frosted Leaves
Frosted Leaves

Oak Leaves
Oak Leaves

Horseshoe Mound
Horseshoe Mound