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 Stations of the Cross - St. Donatus, Iowa Posted by:  iconions
N 42° 21.904 W 090° 32.132
15T E 702936 N 4693252
These 14 5' x 5' red-brick, open arched structures are located behind the church and cemetery - 97 East 1st Street in St. Donatus, Iowa.
Waymark Code: WM12MG0
Location: Iowa, United States
Date Posted: 06/15/2020
Views: 1
At the top of the bluff stands a reproduction of the Chapel du Bilchen in Luxembourg, reached by a winding path leading past the Stations of the Cross, consisting of brick alcoves sheltering religious pictures. These were built under the direction of Father Wenniger, a traveling priest. From this bluff is a view of three valleys.
- Iowa, a guide to the Hawkeye state, 1938, pg. 354
My Commentary:
There is something quite peaceful and serene when one goes through the gate and starts the walk up the hill towards the first Station. The fencing and gate are there to keep the flock of sheep in - used to keep the grass cut naturally. Also, they are there, I think, metaphorically also, as a reminder to the faithful. The Stations are rather striking with their brick buildings. Each having a lithograph, now a reproduction, one actually has to study and see what is going on at the Station. This is one of the nicest Stations of the Cross I have been.
The Way of the Cross, constructed in 1861 under the direction of
Father Flammang and believed to be one of the first developed in the United States, symbolizes Christ's journey to his crucifixion. The fourteen stations, each 5' X 5' in size with open, arched entrances and gabled roofs, are situated at intervals of approximately 250 feet adjacent to a dirt foot path that gradually winds its way to the top of the bluff and the Pieta Chapel. The parish chronicle notes that the brick alcoves were designed in "typical Luxembourg" fashion.
Another of Flammang's projects was the construction on Calvary Mound of the Way of the Cross (Site 38). Blessed on August 15, 1862, the fourteen brick alcoves bear inscriptions in French, Spanish and English, Built in "traditional Luxembourg fashion' the brick structures are located adjacent to a meandering path that winds up to the top of the bluff. Sheep are allowed to graze the hillside, keeping maintenance costs to a minimum. The stations were repaired by the parishioners in 1925.
-National Registry Entry
Book: Iowa
Page Number(s) of Excerpt: 354
Year Originally Published: 1938
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