Stations of the Cross at Corpus Christi

During this time of lent it seems appropriate to take a closer look at the the fourteen mosaic representations of the Stations of the Cross which are arranged at intervals around the walls of the church.  The current stations, which replaced the original ones from 1890s, were installed in 1912 as part of the renovations financed by Michael Jenkins.  The Baltimore Sun reported on the beautification of the church in an article on July 26, 1912:

“The extensive improvements being made to Corpus Christi Catholic Church, at Mount Royal and Lafayette Avenues, by Mr. Michael Jenkins, are well under way and will probably be finished by next October.  […]  It is understood that the present Stations of the Cross, which are small and oil paintings, will be superseded by magnificent mosaics in relief, made abroad.  These will be the only ones of their kind in the United States.  Their value is said to represent a small fortune.  Several designs have been submitted and one of particular beauty was placed in the church in order that it might be ascertained whether or not it harmonized with the other decorations."[1]

The Stations of the Cross (also called the Way of the Cross, Via Crucis or Via Dolorosa) represent fourteen episodes in the passion and death of Christ from His judgment before Pilate to His burial in the tomb of Joseph or Aramethea.  The origin of the devotion can be traced back to the Holy Land.  The Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem was reverently marked out from the earliest times and has been the goal of pious pilgrims ever since the days of Constantine.  A desire to reproduce these holy places in other lands, in order to satisfy the devotion of those who were hindered from making the actual pilgrimage, seems to have manifested itself at quite an early date, but one can be relatively certain that the Way of the Cross as we understand it today (i.e. a settled route with special stopping places with indulgences attached) was not known until the 15^th century.  And the erection of the Stations inside churches did not become common until the end of the 17th century.  In 1686, Pope Innocent XI granted the Franciscans, in answer to their petition, the right to erect the Stations in all their churches, and declared that all the indulgences that had ever been given for devoutly visiting the actual scenes of Christ's Passion, could thenceforth be gained by Franciscans and all others affiliated to their order if they made the Way of the Cross in their own churches in the accustomed manner.   By the middle of the 18^th century, all priests had been given the right to erect Stations within their church, and most Catholic Church nowadays contain such treasures. [2]

The standard set from the 17^th century onwards has consisted of 14 representations of the following scenes:

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.

Station 1 [Jesus is condemned to death] depicts Jesus being led away by soldiers while Pontius Pilate washes his hands.  Jesus is wearing the scarlet robe and crown of thorns, as mentioned in Matthew 27:24-29:

When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all, but rather that a tumult was rising, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, "I am innocent of the blood of this just Person. You see to it." And all the people answered and said, "His blood be on us and on our children." Then he released Barabbas to them; and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified.  Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole garrison around Him. And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand.

[1] "Beautifying Corpus Christi: Heoric Statues in Place, Magnificent Stations Planned." Sun [Baltimore] 26 July 1912: 11. Proquest Historical Newspapers. Web. 27 Feb. 2015.

[2] Alston, George Cyprian. "Way of the Cross." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 15. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912. 27 Feb. 2015 <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15569a.htm>.

Stained glass windows in memory of William and Ellen (Willcox) Jenkins

We missed the birthday last week of William Jenkins, the grandfather of the five Jenkins children who built the church of Corpus Christi.  Willam was born on February 5, 1767 at the family’s farm in Long Green Valley, Baltimore County.  He was the third child and second son of Michael and Charity Ann (Wheeler) Jenkins.

It was with William that the family fortune began to develop and that the Jenkins family began their tradition of distinguished Catholic laymen.  In 1780, William Jenkins came to Baltimore City as an apprentice to a tanner, William Hayward.  After finishing this apprenticeship, he began his own tanning business in a small business on Water Street.  His business grew and he soon became one of the city’s prominent merchants.  William was one of the charter members of the Northern Central Railroad, then the Baltimore and Susquehanna Railroad, and also one of the original trustees of the Cathedral.  

His first wife was Ann Hillen (ca. 1773-1799), the daughter of Solomon and Martha (Clements) Hillen of Charles County.  Mrs. Ann (Hillen) Jenkins died soon after the birth of their first and only child, Mary Ann. 

On June 2, 1801, William remarried Eleanor (Ellen) Willcox, the daughter of Mark and Mary (Flahavan) Willcox.   William and Eleanor had 7 children, among whom Thomas Jenkins to whom our church is dedicated.

Two of the stained glass windows in the church are dedicated to William & Ellen (Willcox) Jenkins.  You can find them in the back of the church on the Gospel side.  The inscription at the bottom of the windows reads “In loving memory of William Jenkins (1767-1843) and his wife Ellen Willcox (1779-1816).”  Quite possible the selection of St. William of York and St. Helen can be attributed to the long English, Welsh and Scottish background of the Jenkins family. [1]

 

William of York was a 12^th century English priest and twice Archbishop of York.  William's election to the See of York was challenged on the grounds of simony and unchastity. He was cleared by Rome, but later, a new Pope, the Cistercian Eugene III, suspended William, and in 1147, he was deposed as archbishop of York.   William then retired to Winchester where he led the austere life of a monk, practicing much prayer and mortification.   In 1154 he was restored to his See but he died a few months later.  Following his death, many miracles were attributed to him. He is shown wearing his chasuble, signifying the celebration of the Mass, and the pallium, the symbol of the archdiocesan jurisdiction delegated to him by the papacy.  His right hand is uplifted in benediction and his left hand holds the pastoral staff. [2],[3]

St. Helen was the mother of Constantine the Great who decreed tolerance for Christianity in the Roman Empire.  She devoted the latter part of her life to good works and founded churches in the Holy Land.  She is credited with a pilgrimage to Syria Palaestina, during which she is claimed to have discovered the True Cross of Jesus's crucifixion.   Medieval English chroniclers claimed that St. Helen was the daughter of an English King. [4]  

In Corpus Christi’s stained glass window, St. Helen is crowned as a queen, holding the True Cross.  Her face is turned toward it with great reverence.   

---

[1] Meginnis, Frances, Requiescat in pace : A History of Corpus Christi-Jenkins Memorial Church (N.p.: n.p., 1973), p. 14-16.

[2] "William of York." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 09 Feb. 2015. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_of_York>.

[3] "St. William of York." AmericanCatholic.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Feb. 2015. <http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/Saints/saint.aspx?id=1925>.

[4] Hall, James, Dictionary of Subjects and Symbols in Art (Boulder: Westview, 2008), p. 151.