The banging of drums, the rattling of chains, a visceral human scream, the crack of lightning, the raw of thunder – there, trembling beneath the dark Shepparton sky of Good Friday was St Brendan’s Church – its congregation holding candles in palpable silence.
The dramatisation of the Stations of the Cross at St Brendan’s is “always a solemn and very emotional experience,” said Musical Director and Coordinator, Dale Wright. “It’s done so beautifully and respectfully.” Dale says that the dramatisation Team goes to great lengths to ensure the event “takes a hold of everyone” so it’s produced very professionally.
“Jesus dying on the Cross for us is core to Christianity; we want people to experience the Passion and to connect more deeply with their faith,” explains Dale. “The professional lighting and sound installations create an almost physical experience of lightning, thunder and the Church¬¬¬ shaking!” Yet he believes the raw emotion experienced within participants comes from our own humanity and spirituality.
St Brendan’s Church was packed; people had come from all over Victoria to witness the Good Friday story. As Dale recounts:
“When Jesus was forcefully brought into the Church there was banging of drums, the rattling of chains and the ringing of bells. Angela Connelly sang Pie Jesu as Jesus was being condemned and this really set the tone for the evening. Images of the crucifixion were projected on to the dome of the Church, creating a truly immersive experience.”
When Jesus was being crucified, the congregation sang as one “Take me Home” and “Here I am Lord”. Everyone was worshipping with their hearts and voices.
After Jesus left the building, the entire congregation was invited to come forward to light a candle for their intentions. This year each person was given a Cross, made from a palm by members of the Shepparton Youth Group. It was a lovely way to finish.”
The dramatisation of the Stations of the Cross is a thirty-year-old St Brendan’s tradition. In 2023, after a three-year COVID-19 hiatus, it was back in full force with an all-new cast.
“We were a month out and still didn’t have enough volunteers to cast key characters,” said Dale. “I told Fr Joe that we were struggling to find people, I don’t know how but, by the Grace of God, we managed to find a stellar cast and pulled the whole thing off in the space of a month.” Dale paused for a moment, as if to question whether Fr Joe had pulled a few strings or had asked someone higher up to pull some strings for him.
Every dramatisation over the years has been different; each year focusing on a different theme, or different character from the images of the Stations of the Cross. Writer and Director, Les Billing, writes a fresh script every year. “I really want people to get into what the crucifixion means to us today,” he explains.
In past years, perse themes such as rejection, abandonment, loneliness have been explored through the Stations of the Cross. This year, following on from the isolation of the global pandemic and the Shepparton floods, various themes such as anxiety and depression, were explored within the script.
Les, who has a Master’s degree in theology, enjoys employing Scripture in script. “I can apply a lot of scripture to the script, drawing from all the Gospels. There’s always something appropriate and timely somewhere. This year, the script was scripture-heavy and more verbose, so using a narrator worked very well,” says Les.
“Even though Les prepares a script, he doesn’t expect the cast to stick to it verbatim on the night. “It doesn’t matter if the dialogue isn’t perfect on the night. There have been some very good impromptu interpretations of the script on the actual night – the Holy Spirit moving people,” says Les.
Speaking of Kirk Nicholas, who played the role of Jesus, Les exclaimed, “Kirk was magnificent. He really got into the depth of the role; he wanted to carry the cross himself; he wanted to fall; he wanted to feel the passion … it’s a very heavy cross and it’s amazing how he maintained his expression over the course of the fourteen Stations of the Cross.”
Kirk’s wife, Maria played Veronica, and their two children also had roles in the dramatisation. Jesus’ Mother Mary was played by Zoe Hamilton; Mason Crosier played the high priest who accused Jesus; and brothers, Taerk and Oisn Joseph, played soldiers who nailed Jesus to the Cross as he screamed in agony – “They looked as fierce as eleven-year-olds can look,” commented Les.
Les Billings is a teacher at Notre Dame College, Shepparton. He has been directing and writing the script for the Stations of the Cross event since 2009 and has been involved since about 2003. For Les, the Stations of the Cross event is a big part of his connection to his faith and to his parish. “It’s my way of contributing to the parish life of St Brendan’s,” says Les. “It’s a great way to involve a lot of young people in parish life and to help connect them to a deeper level of faith. I work with young people day in day out. This event is a very significant way of helping people to really understand the passion story and to connect to their faith in a profound way.”
Dale Wright is a local business person, the organist at St Brendan’s and Musical Director and Coordinator for the Stations of the Cross event. “I actually haven’t witnessed the Stations of the Cross for thirty years,” laughed Dale. “I’m always concentrating with my head down in the script, directing the music!”
