Stations of the Cross

On the last week of term before Holy Week children from St Joachim’s and St Helen’s Year 6 walked around central London to do the Stations of the Cross, a traditional Catholic prayer liturgy following the final hours of Christ’s life on Earth. Together they visited 10 different churches by foot, including the Ukrainian Cathedral and St Ethelreda’s the oldest Catholic church in England. Among the churches they visited was the Italian church of St Peter’s, a church for all nations, which had a mock up of the crucifixion with a Roman centurion helmet and spear, together with replica nails and hammers. They also visit the church of the Assumption of our Lady and St Gregory, in Soho, which was once frequented by St John Henry Newman when he was a child. The children were led by Mr Allen at each church with the children reading scripture and a prayer to contemplate on the different parts of Jesus’ journey to the cross. The prayers helped the children to reflect on how Jesus' journey to the cross could impact on their own lives. The whole walk was just over 5 miles and the children showed a great level of resilience to complete it. They felt tired by the end of the journey, which helped them to understand in a small way the arduous and painful journey Jesus made when he sacrificed his life to save us from our sins.