The new Stations of the Cross were recently installed at Knock Basilica.

The Stations were created by Westport-based artist Ger Sweeney.

The Stations will be officially blessed on Sunday 8 July at the 12 noon Mass in the Basilica. All are welcome to attend.

The Stations were executed on stretched raw linen, each Station is 2.6 x 2.6 metres (square in shape). Taking into account the large extent and scale of the Basilica, and the gracious floor to ceiling height within the Basilica, it was decided that the Stations should be installed approx. 4.5m above floor level;  this ensures that all pilgrims have a good view of the Stations and this facilitates prayer and particularly saying of the Rosary.

The artist prepared initial proposals for each Station, showing proposed materials, drawings and sketches , all in accordance with Catholic teaching and tradition, and as presented to and approved by Fr Gibbons, Rector of Knock Shrine and the Arts Committee at Knock .  All of the finished works are based on these initial proposals, which included preliminary individual drawings of each of the Stations, showing the visual narrative, composition and proposed colours of each work, all for approval by Knock Shrine.

The artist prepared a scale painting on linen of each Station in full colour together with all necessary studies, representations, portraits of individual faces, and required relevant details, in advance of commencement of the final work.

The Stations of the Cross utilise a subdued colour range and this colour range is combined with very effective representations of natural light in each Station; this is appropriate for the solemnity of the subject matter, and this artistic  restraint helps to give a powerful emotional feeling to the works.

View the fourteen stations in the gallery below.

[new_royalslider id=”32″]