Just in time for the Easter season, this devotion focuses on the light, hope and strength that comes with Jesus’ victory over death
“The Stations of the Resurrection” is a new devotional booklet that follows Jesus’ life after his death through Pentecost. The booklet is ideal for personal and group prayer anytime, especially the Easter season. (See information at bottom of story.)
It’s the brainchild of Benedictine Sister Catherine Duenne, who researched the Stations of the Resurrection during a class at the St. John’s School of Theology and Seminary in Collegeville. She learned these stations had been created in the late 1980s by Father Sabino Palumbieri, a priest in Italy, and were promoted by the Vatican during the Jubilee Year of 2000.
“As part of my study, I read a lot of liturgical documents, including the ‘Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy,’” Sister Catherine said. “In this 190-page document written in 2001, I discovered five paragraphs about these stations. I had never heard of them before and realized others hadn’t either.
“If Jesus had only died, the story would end there. We know, however, this wasn’t the end,” she said. “Jesus conquered death and is risen. The Stations of the Resurrection continue where the Stations of the Cross end. We can’t separate Jesus’ death from the Resurrection — we need to continue the story,” Sister Catherine said.
She looked online to purchase a booklet.
“I wanted something tangible. There were books about the Resurrection stations. There were online resources, but I couldn’t find a book, similar to the ones for the Stations of the Cross, that I could hold in my hand and use for prayer,” Sister Catherine said.
“By that time I had returned to my Benedictine community in Ferdinand, Indiana, and decided to create my own. If nothing else, it would be a valuable resource to use in the parish where I was ministering. I asked four of the Benedictine sisters and later four of our oblates to help me write prayers and reflections.”
They prayerfully began the process in June 2021. Sister Catherine then edited the writings to smooth the different writing styles and ways they approached their station.
“The Paschal Mystery includes the life, death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ,“ Sister Catherine said. “We have salvation through the cross and the Resurrection. This is what we focused on as the Holy Spirit guided us in our writing.”
The Stations of the Resurrection are prayed like the Stations of the Cross with an opening prayer, Scripture passage, reflection and prayer. A short melody to the tune of “Stabat Mater” can be prayed between each station. This is optional and found at the front of the book.
Sister Catherine sent the finished text to Twenty-Third Publications. They offered her a contract in April 2022, requesting an introduction. The booklet became available in January 2023.
“The Stations of the Cross is a very popular devotion during Lent as we walk with Jesus in his suffering and crucifixion,” she said. “We know Jesus is with us in our suffering and pain. We can’t forget, however, that there are 50 days in which we celebrate the Easter season. The Stations of the Resurrection help us continue the story. They remind us that death is not the end. In praying and reflecting on the 14 stations, we focus on the light, hope and strength that comes to us because Jesus has conquered death. For this we rejoice.
“My goal in creating this booklet was to focus on the fact that our God is a loving and merciful God, not a wrathful, angry or vengeful God. I hope this message and image of God will spread across the world. Perhaps praying these Stations and focusing on the hope that Jesus brings through his resurrection will bring us ever more deeply into that reality.”