by Virginia Maksymowicz

Since 2018, the Stations of the Cross by artist Virginia Maksymowicz have been displayed in the nave of Saint Mark’s Cathedral, Seattle each Lent. Although they were originally commissioned by St Thomas Episcopal Church in Lancaster, PA—a very different kind of church interior than Saint Mark’s—their elemental quality and stark appearance resonate visually and spiritually with the nave of Saint Mark’s. Many are surprised to learn that they were not created specifically for this space! In fact, they have only been on loan to the cathedral since their first appearance here in 2018.

In 2022 Saint Mark’s Cathedral announced that these artworks are now a permanent part of the cathedral collection. They were given as a gift by The Rt. Rev. Gregory Rickel, Bishop of Olympia, and Mrs Marti Rickel, to the glory of God and in loving memory of Bishop Rickel’s father, Morris E. Rickel Jr. These Stations of the Cross will serve the cathedral community, the diocese, and wider community as a beautiful and prayerful aspect of our Lenten observances for years to come.

About the Stations of the Cross

Religious imagery depicting Jesus’ journey to Golgotha and the tomb dates back to the 13th century. The artistic tradition began as a way to replicate the experience of pilgrims in Jerusalem, who would walked the Via Dolorosa—traditionally believed to be the route Christ walked in final hours—pausing at prescribed “stations” to reflect and pray. For her interpretation, Maksymowicz worked with a variety of models, culled from a wide range of ages and ethnicities. She explains, “I wanted the narrative of Christ’s passion and death to be represented in a way that is tensioned between the ‘specific’ and the ‘universal.'”

Read a statement and a journal article by the artist.
Read the article in the Episcopal Journal about the Stations.
Check out the feature in Saint Mark’s quarterly magazine, The Rubric.