Just as the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is central to the Christian faith, the cross is central to the visual life of that faith. From architectural design to personal devotional painting to liturgical objects, the cross continually reminds us of the Passion of Christ and brings that into our present moment.

Father William McNamara of the Carmelite Monastery, describes the symbolism of the cross saying, “Christianity is centrifugal:… the cross, though it has at its heart a collision and a contradiction, can extend its four arms forever without altering its shape. Because it has a paradox in its center it can grow without changing…. The cross opens its arms to the four winds; it is a sign post for free travelers.”

The Stations of the Cross are a series of images, of Franciscan origin, that rehearse the way that Christ took to the Cross from His appearance before Pilate to His burial. While some series include as many as twenty-two images, the standard number of stations is fourteen.

The artists in this exhibition each engage the cross and the stations of the cross in creative ways that keep the visual life of the Christian faith alive. These artists were selected from a larger group collected by Kathy Hettinga, Professor of Art at Messiah College, and continues the theme of the Liturgical Arts from the most recent issue of CIVA SEEN.

I would like to thank each of the artists included in this exhibition. They have been helpful in providing images of their work and statements concerning how their faith informs their work. I have incorporated some these statements in this exhibition.