Silhouette Stations

Fourth and fifth graders at Saints Cyril and Methodius School in Deer Park prepared a moving presentation of the Stations of the Cross during Holy Week. Parents, students and faculty assembled for a prayerful session as Principal Sister Susan Snyder set the tone with a moment of silence and an opening prayer.

Each set of students took the stage in the Father Behan auditorium, enacting each of the 14 Stations of the Cross behind a backlit screen, silhouetting each scene in touching black and white vibrance. While the silhouette took shape, another student narrated each station, along with an example of what the station reminds us, in our everyday lives.

The Stations of the Cross, also known as the Via Dolorosa, is a narration of the final hours of the life of Jesus Christ on earth. They serve as a stark reminder of the humble manner in which Jesus was willing to set aside any privilege of deity in order to provide a path to salvation through His sacrifice.

After the beautiful presentation of the 14 stations, the students shared what they learned and what they felt while preparing for and presenting the stations. Their reactions were as touching as the performance, sharing how much it meant to them to act out each silhouette and how it brought them closer to understanding how difficult Jesus’ sacrifice must have been. The most poignant comment came from one fourth grader who said he’d felt Jesus’ presence during their narration of the Stations of the Cross.

Many thanks to Father Vincent Schifano for initiating the idea, as well as Mrs. Wiepert, Mrs. Congro and Mr. Pantuliano for working so closely with the students on preparation and execution of this beautiful presentation of Silhouette Stations.