Since Lent 2022 Saint Joseph High School has presented a dramatic reenactment of the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ and Living Stations of the Cross. Our Lord Jesus and Mother Mary are portrayed by senior students nominated by their teachers and peers in recognition of the manner in which they live out their faith day to day. Other roles are performed by students in 12th, 11th, and 10th grades. Inspirational music performed by our talented students and liturgical choir accompany this production in a way that draws the observer into a truly prayerful, Lenten experience. Saint Joe models its production after the Mystery Plays of medieval and early Tudor England. Guilds (think: unions) of lay craftsmen and workers would come together to present stories from the Bible within their community. This was an important way that lay people in the middle ages in England expressed and shared the Faith. People in villages and cities alike flocked to performances that brought the stories of salvation to life. Sadly the Mystery Plays were a casualty of the Reformation, and it would be many years before they reappeared publicly on English soil. Each year while preparing for their performance the cast has a chance to talk about the different reactions to the crucifixion by characters in the story. The Gospel tells us that one of the centurions, upon seeing the manner in which Jesus died, proclaims, “Surely this man was the Son of God!” Tradition presents this centurion, Longinus, becoming a Christian saint because of what he saw and experienced along the Via Dolorosa (painful way) and at the foot of the Cross. And that is us. On any given day we resemble the centurions, the Pharisees, the accusers, the mourners, the disciples, the faithful, the betrayers, and the repentant. We are all sinners in need of a Savior. How blessed we are that Jesus came to seek and save us - you and me. For centuries believers have walked the Way of the Cross during Lent. Christians the world over pray this poignant prayer on their own, in parish churches, in nursing homes, on the original paths Jesus walked, and yes, in school gymnasiums. Each year we are retelling a true story - the TRUEST story - made up of real people who lived, wept, and experienced the agony, confusion, and mystery of Christ’s Cross. Jesus is, as always, at the center of this story. Through contemplating His Passion, we pray that He be ever more firmly rooted in the center of our hearts and lives. This production is one of the ways we seek to help our community enter more meaningfully into Holy Week.
Performances:
Wednesday March 24, 2027 - 7:00 PM in Alumni Gym
Free and open to the public
Donations accepted on behalf of Operation Rice Bowl
Thursday, March 25, 2027
School performance
