1. Catholicism
Catholics trace the beginning of their faith to the Resurrection of Christ in the year 29 A.D.
They faced persecution from the Romans and many others and have themselves persecuted others.
It is a complicated and rich faith full of many rituals and traditions.
Catholicism is about 2000 years old (as the Christian calendar tells us). The first Catholics were the disciples of Christ and they, particularly Peter and John preached their faith and built a huge following (Fortin). As of 2005, the latest date for which data are available, there were billion Catholics worldwide (Zenit). Catholicism has survived from the point when its followers were persecuted to the point where its followers were often the persecutors (as in the Crusades and the Inquisition) (Fortin). Through its history, however, one thing has always kept the faith going and its followers united, the rituals, sacraments, and traditions of the Catholic Church.
Fortin, S. (2003). Timeline of Catholic Church History: A.D. Retrieved November 16, 2008, from
Numbers of Catholics and Priests Rises. (2007). Zenit: The World from Rome. Retrieved November 16, 2008, from

2. Catholicism Stations of the Cross
For Catholics the Stations of the Cross is the most powerful and profound devotion, or worshipful observance a believer of Christ can make in his or her life.
It is believed to be a way to come closer to Jesus and to obtain faith in God the Father.
The purpose of the devotion is to follow in the footsteps and trials of Jesus Christ as he made his way to Calvary to his crucifixion (Hoagland). Through the devotion Catholics “face life's dark side in” themselves and in the world (Hoagland). When the trials become too great the faithful are to look to Jesus for hope (Hoagland). In this way, by following Christ on the Way of the Cross Catholics believe they “gain his courageous patience and learn to trust in God who delivers” them from evil (Hoagland). In 1991 Pope John Paul II altered the Stations of the Cross somewhat (Pope John Paul II). There are 14 stations of the Cross that Catholics honor (Pope John Paul II).
Hoagland, V. (2002). The Stations of the Cross and other Devotions to the Passion. The Passionist Missionaries Retrieved November 16, 2008, from
Pope John Paul II. (1991). Stations of the Cross. New American Bible. Retrieved November 16, 2008 from

3. Stations of the Cross
The Stations each tell a portion of the tale of how Christ was betrayed, captured, tried, judged and sentenced; his pains on the journey; and, finally, his death on the cross.
The first seven stations are:
Jesus is Judged by Pilate
Jesus is Scourged and Crowned with Thorns
Jesus Bears the Cross
Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane
Jesus, Betrayed by Judas, is Arrested
Jesus is Condemned by the Sanhedrin
Jesus is Denied by Peter
The first seven Stations of the Cross, as presented on this slide are (Pope John Paul II):
Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane
Jesus, Betrayed by Judas, is Arrested
Jesus is Condemned by the Sanhedrin
Jesus is denied by Peter
Jesus is Judged by Pilate
Jesus is Scourged and Crowned with Thorns
Jesus Bears the Cross
The first station brings followers into the loneliness felt by Christ when his followers would not keep watch with him (Bratcher). The second station, of course, is the ultimate betrayal by Judas (Bratcher). In the third station Christ faces the priests, scribes, and elders, called the Sanhedrin, before whom he refuses to speak and they find him guilty of saying he is the son of God (Bratcher). The fourth station shows another betrayal of Jesus, committed by Peter, who refuses to admit he his follower (Bratcher). In the fifth station Christ is sentenced to die by crucifixion by Pilate (Bratcher). In the sixth station Christ is scourged or whipped and a crown of thorns is put on him to ridicule him for saying that he is the King of the Jews (Bratcher). In the seventh station Jesus begins his journey to Calvary and first takes up the Cross (Bratcher).
Bratcher, D. (2008). The Cross as a Journey. Retrieved November 16, 2008, from
Pope John Paul II. (1991). Stations of the Cross. New American Bible. Retrieved November 16, 2008 from

4. The final seven stations are:
Stations of the Cross
The final seven stations are:
Jesus is Helped by Simon the Cyrenian to Carry the Cross
Jesus Meets the Women of Jerusalem
Jesus is Crucified
Jesus Promises His Kingdom to the Good Thief
Jesus Speaks to His Mother and the Disciple
Jesus Dies on the Cross
Jesus is Placed in the Tomb
The last seven Stations of the Cross, as presented on this slide are (Pope John Paul II):
Jesus is Helped by Simon the Cyrenian to Carry the Cross
Jesus Meets the Women of Jerusalem
Jesus is Crucified
Jesus Promises His Kingdom to the Good Thief
Jesus Speaks to His Mother and the Disciple
Jesus Dies on the Cross
Jesus is Placed in the Tomb
The eighth station causes Catholics to wonder whether they would have helped ease the pain of the Jesus or whether they would have been to afraid to see his need and brave the Romans (Bratcher). The ninth station reminds Catholics that even in his pain Christ stopped to ease the pain of others (Bratcher). In the tenth station Christ faces his greatest trail, where he is crucified and alone as others ridicule him; it reminds Catholics of the meaning of faith (Bratcher). The eleventh station again shows Christ’s compassion for man as does the twelfth station where he cares for his mother at the hour of his death (Bratcher). In the thirteenth station Christ dies to save man, showing his deep love for humanity (Bratcher). In the fourteenth station Christ is laid to rest where he returns to God, as Catholics believe they too will (Bratcher).
Bratcher, D. (2008). The Cross as a Journey. Retrieved November 16, 2008, from
Pope John Paul II. (1991). Stations of the Cross. New American Bible. Retrieved November 16, 2008 from

5. Catholic Sacraments Baptism Eucharist Reconciliation Confirmation
Marriage
Holy Orders
Anointing of the Sick
The word “sacrament” comes from the Latin word sacramentum, which means "a sign of the sacred“ (American Catholic). There are seven sacraments and they are each ceremonies that point to what is sacred and significant to Catholics (American Catholic). “Sacraments are celebrations of Christian tradition, of Christian life and of Christian hope” (Martos). Each of the sacraments is an occasion to experience “God's saving presence” (American Catholic). Baptism and marriage are two of the most joyous and important sacraments in the Catholic faith.
Martos, J. (2008). What Are Sacraments? Catholic Update. Retrieved November 16, 2008, from
The Seven Catholic Sacraments. (2008). American Catholic. Retrieved November 16, 2008, from

6. Celebrates the Embrace of God
Catholic Sacraments
Baptism
Celebrates the Embrace of God
Welcomes infant to Catholic Church and the Catholic community.
Catholic Community is charged with the care of the child.
Marriage
Sign of Faithful Love
Promises and Vows are made to spouse, community, and God.
Baptism is often the first sacrament many experience as today most baptisms occur when people are infants (DeGidio). The sacrament of baptism is one that brings families together and welcomes the soul of the baptized child into the Church, the faith, and God’s loving embrace (DeGidio). Marriage is a legal and holy alliance between men and women and above creating the holy union of a husband and wife, the sacrament of marriage also serves to remind those present of the purposes for which God ordained marriage and beauty of faithfulness and faith of the couple to each other and to God, for it is to each other and to God to whom they make their promises and vows (Richstatter).
DeGidio, S. (NA). The Sacrament of Baptism: Celebrating the Embrace of God. Catholic Update. Retrieved November 16, 2008, from
Richstatter, T. (NA). Sacrament of Marriage: Sign of Faithful Love. Catholic Update. Retrieved November 16, 2008, from

7. Rite of Reconciliation
Catholic Sacraments
Rite of Reconciliation
Celebrating God’s Forgiveness
Confession
Repentance
Forgiveness
The Rite of Reconciliation is also of paramount importance in the Catholic faith. At one time the Rite of Reconciliation was more concerned with listing sins, promising not to sin again, and praying for forgiveness to cleanse one’s sins away (DeGidio). Confession is still part of the process, as is repentance (DeGidio). However, today, the goal of confession is not to make the one confessing feel ashamed but to understand his or her mistakes and recognize how their mistakes harm them and others, through the process of repentence (DeGidio). The ultimate goal is to receive the love of God through his forgiveness, which is the part of celebration that brings peace and an understanding of the complete love God has for each person (DeGidio). “The God you encounter in the Sacrament of Reconciliation is the God of compassion” (Fanizzi).
DeGidio, S. (NA). The Sacrament of Reconciliation: Celebrating God's Forgiveness. Catholic Update. Retrieved November 16, 2008, from
Fanizzi, E. (NA). Reconciliation: An Experience of Forgiveness. Youth Update. Retrieved November 16, 2008, from

8. Catholicism
Rituals, traditions and sacraments alone do not create a faith, but they help carry the faith forward and unite the faithful in a world they all understand and feel welcome in – a world that celebrates God.
All Catholic rituals and sacraments celebrate the history of Catholicism, the sacrifices of Christ and the saints, and the importance of the connection to God and the Catholic community. They reinforce and establish beliefs and assure that the faith endures from generation to generation.

9. References
Bratcher, D. (2008). The Cross as a Journey. Retrieved November 16, 2008, from
DeGidio, S. (NA). The Sacrament of Baptism: Celebrating the Embrace of God. Catholic Update. Retrieved November 16, 2008, from
DeGidio, S. (NA). The Sacrament of Reconciliation: Celebrating God's Forgiveness. Catholic Update. Retrieved November 16, 2008, from
Fanizzi, E. (NA). Reconciliation: An Experience of Forgiveness. Youth Update. Retrieved November 16, 2008, from
Fortin, S. (2003). Timeline of Catholic Church History: A.D. Retrieved November 16, 2008, from
Hoagland, V. (2002). The Stations of the Cross and other Devotions to the Passion. The Passionist Missionaries Retrieved November 16, 2008, from
Martos, J. (2008). What Are Sacraments? Catholic Update. Retrieved November 16, 2008, from
Numbers of Catholics and Priests Rises. (2007). Zenit: The World from Rome. Retrieved November 16, 2008, from
Pope John Paul II. (1991). Stations of the Cross. New American Bible. Retrieved November 16, 2008 from
Richstatter, T. (NA). Sacrament of Marriage: Sign of Faithful Love. Catholic Update. Retrieved November 16, 2008, from
The Seven Catholic Sacraments. (2008). American Catholic. Retrieved November 16, 2008, from