In 2019, missionary mother Nicole composed this reflection for the Finca community…

This Lent, we are inviting you along on the Via Crucis (“The Way of the Cross,” or Stations of the Cross) at the Finca, which we commemorate on Fridays leading up to Easter. We’d like to tell you a little about the building where each Station of the Cross is located and ask you to journey with us in prayer.

1st Station: Jesus is Condemned to death.

The 1st station is on the outside of the first-grade classroom, where our 6-7 year-olds learn early academic skills like reading and addition. We pray for all those whose curiosity and future opportunities are condemned due to lack of access to education.

2nd Station: Jesus takes the Cross upon his shoulders.

The 2nd station is on the Food Bodega, where food and supplies for the Finca community are stored and distributed twice weekly. We pray for all those who are burdened with the heavy cross of hunger and deprivation.

3rd Station of the Cross: Jesus falls for the first time.

The 3rd station is at Sacred Heart Clinic, where we attend to the medical needs of everyone who lives and works at the Finca, as well as members of the surrounding communities. We pray for all those who have fallen ill as a direct result of their poverty, especially the individuals we treat at the clinic each week.

4th Station of the Cross: Jesus meets his grieving mother.

The 4th station is outside Casa San José, where our youngest girls live. We pray for all children who yearn for their mother’s love, and for all mothers who grieve the loss of their children.

5th Station of the Cross: Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus carry the cross.

The 5th station is at the Taller, our maintenance workshop. We pray for all who labor on behalf of others, using their hands to help build the Kingdom of God.

6th Station of the Cross: Veronica wipes the face of Jesus.

The 6th station is at the Peace Garden, a quiet place of refuge and prayer. We pray for all those who love boldly and seek ways to reveal the face of Christ no matter the risks.

7th Station of the Cross: Jesus falls for the second time.

The 7th station is at Casa San Francisco, where our missionary family currently resides. We pray for the strengthening of all families, especially those at risk of collapsing under the weight of poverty, addiction, and cycles of abuse.

8th Station of the Cross: Jesus comforts the women of Jerusalem.

The 8th station is outside Casa Santa Teresita, our missionary house. We pray for all missionaries who seek to follow Jesus into the brokenness of humanity, that they might find consolation in His presence and love.

9th Station of the Cross: Jesus falls for the third time.

The 9th station is outside Casa Nazarét, where our Franciscan Sisters live. We pray for all religious communities, especially those whose vocation is to help carry the burdens of the most marginalized among us.

10th Station of the Cross: Jesus is stripped of his garments.

The 10th station is outside Casa Virgen de Guadalupe, where several of our middle school girls live. We pray for all people, especially all girls and young women, who are objectified by society’s disordered approach to bodies and clothing.

11th Station of the Cross: Jesus is nailed to the Cross.

The 11th station is at Casa Virgen de Suyapa, where our oldest girls live. We pray for all people who have experienced the piercing pain of abuse or rejection.

12th Station of the Cross: Jesus dies on the Cross.

The 12th station is at Casa San Antonio, where our younger boys live. We pray for all victims of physical and structural violence, especially the youngest and most vulnerable among us.

13th Station of the Cross: Jesus is taken down from the Cross.

The 13th station is at Casa San Juan Bautista, where our older boys live. We pray for those who –by choice or circumstance— are tasked with cleaning up after tragedy and heartbreak.

14th Station of the Cross: Jesus is placed in the tomb.

The 14th station is at our middle school, where our children receive a strong academic and spiritual foundation. We pray for all people, especially all youth, who are entombed in the darkness of depression, anxiety, and other mental illnesses.