March 28, 2009
Way of the Cross
New stations enhance ‘spiritual landscape’ at retreat center, seminary
By Lynette Magnino
Herald correspondent
Lynn Kircher, left, and Ron Sala hold the 13th Station of the Cross — Jesus is taken down from the cross — at the location where it will be permanently secured on the grounds of Mount St. Joseph Novitiate and Seminary and the Marello Youth Retreat Center in Loomis. Lynette Magnino/Herald photo
New Stations of the Cross arrived at Mount St. Joseph Novitiate and Seminary in Loomis earlier than expected — two weeks before Ash Wednesday, rather than the originally-scheduled March delivery date.
The Oblates of St. Joseph, a congregation of priests and brothers celebrating their 100th anniversary on April 11, sensed divine providence at work. As Lent approached, the potentially routine labor of installation seemed instantly blessed.
Now came the work of preparing the ground, creating 14 solid block venues, meticulously mounting the bronze-relief art, and applying a stone façade. It would be a very special Lenten journey — one that would complement the spiritual landscape and spiritual missions of the novitiate and seminary as well as the Marello Youth Retreat Center.
Colorado artist and sculptor Lynn Kircher created the stations. Oblate Father Phil Massetti, rector of the seminary, had been working with Rocklin contractor Ron Sala on infrastructure for the project for many weeks. Father Massetti said the new timeline for the Stations of the Cross project added a unique dimension to Lent this year, inviting many to walk the Way of the Cross in a particularly personal manner as they watched the project unfold.
“To see the stations and have them here, physically, has been inspirational,” he said. “We’re compelled in amazing ways to share them, and to encourage the devotion of the Stations of the Cross.”
One youth group on retreat at the Marello Center experienced Kircher’s visit firsthand. The artist spoke to the eighth graders from St. Bernard School in Tracy “to convey the story of his own calling to do the work of God through his art. He described how each station came to be and what inspired him to craft them as he did,” Father Massetti said.
Kircher, a former art teacher, relayed a powerful message to the young students as they listened intently in the novitiate chapel. “Being an artist is not just a job, but a calling to my purpose,” Kircher said.
“I had to listen,” he continued, engaging the students with questions to ponder their own purpose or calling. Kircher then shared each of the 14 stations with the students and described his personal inspiration and intention sculpted into each piece.
“I know those students gained a very special appreciation of the Stations of the Cross that day,” Father Massetti said.
The intent of the beautifully detailed and emotionally compelling stations is to stir the hearts and minds of those who meditate on them in prayerful devotion. Kircher’s sculpted stations also succeed in a parallel art; that of storytelling. The art aims to effectively draw in the faithful — even the casual onlooker — to dramatic scenes filled with pain and brutality, yet balanced by Jesus’ compassion, grace and ultimate sacrifice.
The outdoor scale Way of the Cross began as an effort to replace badly-damaged stations that fell victim to wildfire in 2004 and fallen trees after a severe rain and wind storm in 2008. As the project plan evolved, the Oblates of St. Joseph recognized the value in creating and renewing the spiritual landscape of Mount St. Joseph, according to Father Massetti.
Home to the Marello Youth Retreat Center and the novitiate and seminary, the Stations of the Cross will speak to more than 2,000 youth and young adult retreatants over the course of any year, as well as Oblate novices, and every pilgrim who visits the peaceful, rural setting for spiritual connectedness, according to Father Massetti.
For Sala, the installation was a special labor of love. A member Saints Peter and Paul Parish in Rocklin, he immersed himself into every inch of the half-mile path, retracing Jesus’ steps to Calvary. He spent hours working at every station and taking special care to ensure that every element surrounding Kircher’s sculptures offered the most complete and meaningful representation.
Likewise, Father Massetti said he is pleased when considering all the variables — artist, craftsman, grant funds, donors — everything came together masterfully. The Oblates of St. Joseph anticipate a dedication event on May 1, the feast of St. Joseph the Worker.
