By Elizabeth Hulsbrink
Geneseo Current
St. Malachy Church
April 13, 2025
In the stillness of a darkened church, not a sound stirred. Then out of that darkness, a single beam of light broke through the silence—signaling the beginning of a journey that would draw every soul present into the final hours of Christ’s life. The Living Stations of the Cross, presented by the members of the St. Malachy Youth Ministry, was not just a performance—it was a profound spiritual experience.
The [Living] Stations of the Cross are a traditional Catholic devotion that honors the final hours of Jesus Christ’s life, focusing on His path to his crucifixion. Comprised of 14 stations, each one marks a distinct moment of His suffering and death. These stations are often depicted by crosses, artwork, or carvings within churches. However, this particular performance utilized the art of human stop-motion, where actors got into position for each station and maintained complete stillness while readers told the story through scripture, poetry and narration. The movement from one station to the next unfolded in total darkness, heightening the sense of solemnity and deepening the reverent silence.
Telling the story were Geneseo Middle School students Jocelyn Aguirre, Leila Bries, Ellie Jackson and James Winkleman. Aguirre, Bries and Jackson also sang El Shaddai and Via Dolorosa during the final stations.
The program began with Simon of Cyrene- portrayed by Colin Roemer, a freshman at Geneseo High School and devoted member of the St. Malachy Youth Ministry- as he walked solemnly down the aisle, singing “Watch the Lamb”. While he moved down the “road” he was holding the hands of his two young sons, played by Charlie (age 9) and Henry (age 11) Walck, both of Geneseo. Short scenes with Jesus Christ (portrayed by Jonathan Freadhoff, a senior at Geneseo High School), Guard (portrayed by Joey Thoene, a junior at Geneseo High School) Pontius Pilot (portrayed by Liam Osborn, a freshman of Geneseo), and John (portrayed by Vinnie Angelo, young friend of St. Malachy) as well as a crowd of bystanders, helped set the tone that this performance would be both moving and haunting, due to its nature.
Senior Sophie Oltman's depiction of Mary, mother of Jesus, redirected our attention from the physical torment of Jesus’s struggle to the emotional depth of a mother’s pain. Her a cappella solo, “Still My Little Boy”, held the audience spellbound, with many moved to tears! Veronica (portrayed by sophomore Maddie Oltman), Mary Magdalene (portrayed by Geneseo Middle School 8th grader Reese Schaaf), and weeping woman (Leah Roemer, GHS graduate) all kept close to Mary and Jesus through each station.
This powerful reenactment of Jesus’s final hours of His earthly life was directed by Victor Angelo, Lance Carroll and Elizabeth Hulsbrink. Stage crew included Claudia Angelo, Isabella Angelo, and Dianna Kunkle. Sound assistance was provided by Butch Bos.
