The organization, an arm of the Sisters of St. Joseph’s Fontbonne Ministries that conducts ministries directed at youth, has developed an event that relates everyday issues of urban society with the Stations. It’s called the Urban Way of the Cross, a Lenten event held this year on April 5 that requires participants to interact with the street life of downtown Toronto.
Now in its second year, Urban Way of the Cross is part of the St. Joseph sisters’ Hike and Prayer series which combines physical and spiritual activity.
The spiritual trek encourages people aged 18-39 to inquire into how to live out their faith in daily life. It asks young adults to respond as Christians to the global and local issues affecting communities — such things as consumerism, politics and social justice — by developing a consciousness of the social problems they encounter daily.
For the first Urban Way, organized in 2009, Dundas Square was selected as the site for the 10th station of the cross, “Jesus is Stripped of His Clothing.” As a symbol of consumerism, the busy square represented the unequal distribution of resources in local communities and in the world.
Vanessa Nicholas-Schmidt, Faith Connections program director, says that Dundas Square “generated a lot of dialogue” and that young adults grapple with the question of consumerism.
“Is it okay for me to have lots of possessions, but also be committed to my faith?” she asked.
The program challenged individuals to look within themselves for some level of accountability regarding issues affecting marginalized members of society. It also emphasizes the practice of self-inquiry: “What are we being called to?”
Nicholas-Schmidt said the biggest challenge for young adults attending the program is to think about how to live their faith daily.
“As a Christian, am I called to go to protests? Am I called to live more simply?” she said.
During the Urban Way of the Cross, each individual finds his or her voice through quiet reflection as well as praying aloud with the group. They ask themselves, as well as God, what are their Christian obligations.
The Urban Way of the Cross also acknowledges the voiceless and the vulnerable. In 2009, the eighth station of the cross, “Jesus Speaks to the Women,” was prayed at the Soldier’s Memorial at Old City Hall. The marginalized victims of war — women and children — were acknowledged.
The Memorial Plaque at Church of the Holy Trinity commemorated the homeless. As such, the site challenged the materialism aspect of consumption. Engaging with the social and physical environment facilitates a dialogue between the individual and other participants, between the individual and God, and between the individual and the self. Through the urban stations, the program encourages the development of a global awareness and a self consciousness, both individually and as a community.
This year’s route starts at St. Patrick’s Church on McCaul Street and ends at Trinity Square. Some of the major stops include stations on Dundas Street, Queen Street West and the major intersection at Yonge and Dundas.
“Different stations are going to stand out to different people for different reasons,” said Nicholas- Schmidt.
The program encourages people to come together to develop their Christian faith. Although the participants hike as a group, this is a journey of self-exploration and self-inquiry for individuals. There is opportunity for both quiet reflection as well as group prayer in public settings, to attend to the needs of the extroverted and introverted individuals, said Nicholas- Schmidt.
Lauren van Vliet, a past participant of Hike and Prayer, says “the program is important... because it encourages (young adults) to get out and explore the city... it brings together prayer with hiking.” Exploring the physical elements of the city also prompts an individual’s self-exploration as to his or her calling as a Christian.
The Urban Way of the Cross is a way for individuals to acknowledge, as well as inquire into, their Christian obligation to respond to the issues afflicting others.
For more information, visit www.faithconnections.ca.
(Osei-Yeboah, 18, is a first-year student at the University of Toronto.)