AUBURN — The eighth-grade class at St. Dominic Academy has been rehearsing for several weeks for the presentation of the Live Stations of the Cross.

During Holy Week, a school tradition of “acting out” the Stations of the Cross was started by Ms. Pat Milton many years ago as part of the morning prayer assembly at St. Joseph’s School in Lewiston. This tradition carried on when the local catholic elementary schools merged and today is being continued by St. Dominic Academy.

The version that will be presented at 11 a.m. Friday, April 18, is an adaptation of the Stations of the Cross performed for World Youth Day 2008. This scriptural version was first approved by the Sacred Congregation of Rites in 1975 and approved by Pope Paul VI for use during that Jubilee Year. Pope John Paul II prayed these stations on two occasions on Good Friday at the Coliseum in Rome. They were also approved by the Vatican for use at WYD ’08. The Scriptural texts are taken from the Jerusalem Bible.

The St. Dominic Academy Class of 2018 have come together to portray the events of Christ’s betrayal, suffering and death. In preparation, they read passages from the Bible concerning their roles and wrote personal reflections for a religion class assignment.

There are many roles being played out: narrators, Pontius Pilate, a servant, Mary, Veronica and other women, bystanders in the crowd, disciples, Jesus, Caiaphas (the high priest), Joseph of Arimathea, Judas, Roman soldiers and Simon of Cyrene. The use of costumes and props has added to the excitement and sense of importance.

Other youth ministry groups and Catholic school students presenting Living Stations of the Cross around Maine are as follows:

Sunday, April 13, St. Athanasius and St. John Church, Rumford, Parish Youth Ministry, 7 p.m.

Tuesday, April 15, St. Joseph Church, Farmington, Parish Youth Ministry, 6 p.m.

Good Friday, April 18, St. Rose of Lima Church, Jay, Parish Youth Ministry, 4:30 p.m.