Tour of St. Peter's - Stations of the Cross, Processional Cross

Around the perimeter of the church are fourteen plaques surmounted by woodcarvings showing episodes, or “stations” in the journey of Jesus from his condemnation by Pilate to his death and burial. They are an aid in meditating upon the sufferings of Christ by walking a “way of the cross,” in imitation of the practice in Jerusalem of following the path Jesus took to his crucifixion. The devotion of the Stations of the Cross was popularized by the Franciscans, who were entrusted with the care of pilgrims in the Holy Land, and was well known in Europe by the 15th century.

Processional Cross

Since the 6th century AD, a decorated cross has been carried at the head of liturgical processions. The processional cross at St. Peter’s employs the Tree of Life motif. Old Testament passages identify a tree in full leaf with divine wisdom (Sirach 24:12-21) and the holy person (Psalm 1:3), and describe the Messiah himself as sprouting forth from what seemed like dead wood (Isaiah 11:1-5). Inspired by such scriptural allusions, early Christian writers spoke of the cross of Christ as the “tree of life,” replacing the tree in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3), whose stolen fruit had produced death for humanity. This new “tree” would yield the fruit of everlasting life (Revelation 2:7; 22:1-2, 14).

Our version of the ancient Tree of Life motif presents a cross in polished brass surrounded by stylized leaves in matte aluminum. The processional cross was designed by Anthony Genovese and executed by Ecclesiastical Arts.

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