Parishioners and newcomers can pray alongside Christ in his passion at the outdoor Stations of the Cross at St. Agnes Church in Arlington thanks to parishioner and Eagle Scout Benjamin Cruley.
“I knew for this Eagle Scout project I really need to raise the bar,” Cruley said. “It would be seen by people going to daily Mass every single day, it would become a part of the parish community and become a part of the parish identity.”
An Eagle Scout project is the culmination of a scout’s leadership training. From the brainstorming stages of his project, Cruley knew that he wanted to contribute to St. Agnes.
“I wanted to do something to give back to the community,” Cruley said. “A tradition at St. Agnes is to perform the living Stations of the Cross. Unfortunately, when I was in eighth grade, we weren’t able to do it because of COVID. In a way, this was me fulfilling my eighth grade tradition of performing the living stations.”
After finishing the project, Father William P. Saunders, pastor of St. Agnes and episcopal vicar for the Office of Faith Formation, noted how much of an impact that the stations have already made at St. Agnes.
“The outdoor Stations of the Cross adds a beautiful spiritual area where people can come and say the stations,” Father Saunders said. “It just provides a great opportunity for the whole parish community.”
Cruley, a rising senior at Gonzaga College High School in Washington, has not only crafted a long-lasting experience for parishioners, but through this project, he strengthened his faith, and invited God and fellowship into his fellow troop members, family and St. Agnes parishioners.
“I did not do this project alone,” Cruley said. “I have so many people in my life that I’m so grateful for that really helped me here.”
For more than two years, Cruley crafted the space to be a place of prayer with the support and assistance of Father Saunders.
“We spent a lot of time making sure everything would look perfect and that people would be able to enjoy a nice, beautiful space for years to come,” Cruley said. “It just strengthens the parish community and gives them a way to pray at the Stations of the Cross with plaques and gardens to walk around.”
“Father Saunders was very, very helpful,” Cruley said. “He was super lovely to work with and ended up installing it next to the church in this beautiful green space that we were able to clear out and renovate to become a prayer garden.”
Father Saunders and Cruley meticulously chose the details of the stations to preserve a prayerful atmosphere. A hope that has now become a reality is that students and teachers at St. Agnes School can pray the stations.
“It’s also located on the side of the church that faces the school, so the school kids can come over, especially during Lent, and also pray the stations,” Father Saunders said. “We do that in church on Fridays as a school community, but this way classrooms can come over (and) they really make it more personal.”
Every aspect of the stations, from the surrounding dogwood trees to the materials used to build them, were handpicked with the intention to invite prayer.
“One of the requirements for the material was that it lasts forever, so it would be something that would be a joy for many people,” Cruley said.
Cruley was also supported by his scout leader and Eagle Scout coach, Dr. Bob Klein, and his grandfather who helped him build the stations.
“My grandfather is a very handy woodsman,” Cruley said. “I sent him a sketch of what I thought it would look like; two hours later, he sent me a photo of a mock-up band prototype that he built (with) spare wood in his garage, just because he was so eager to help,” Cruley said.
After installing the stations, Cruley hopes students and teachers at St. Agnes can pray them as a school activity.
“I visit the stations every day to make sure that they still look good,” Cruley said. “Every time I’m there, there’s somebody new that I get to meet.”
