Living Stations of the Cross

Review of Living Stations for a Hispanic-American Community

Living stations of the cross/Passion Plays can be seen at many parishes around the Lenten Season.  For Hispanic communities, it proves to be a traditional and emotionally moving experience that always manages to catch the public's eye (newspaper articles, newscasts, etc).  It is a Stations of the Cross that invites ALL the senses, allowing people to see, hear,  smell and imagine what the Passion Story must have been like for Christ.  

The assigned readings really emphasized the importance of culture when conveying faith and tradition in a Hispanic-American context.  Obviously, culture is important, but Dahm asserts that to a people who may be new to the American culture (with an emphasis on the immigrant experience), language and way of life, it's imperative to keep something comfortable/known at the forefront.  The article suggests that in order to encourage evangelization, opportunities should be made for leadership and power in their faith communities. 

The Passion Play/Living Stations has become a tradition for many Hispanic-Americans.  In terms of the article, the experience allows the the community to express themselves in a way that incorporates their culture and they beliefs.  The experience also encourages involvement of the community themselves--they are not watching a group of White males participate; they, themselves, are organizing a participating in the experience.  The Passion Play/Living Stations is a great activity/experience for Hispanic-Americans and lines up with what Dahm states in his article--culture takes the forefront.