Cross in the Woods Besides being a shrine itself, the Cross in the Woods also has many other smaller shrines on its grounds. These smaller shrines recognize influential people and important members of the Catholic faith. The Stations of the Cross represent the stages leading up to Jesus' death. They consist of 14 specific events that occurred before Jesus was crucified and later rose from the dead. These 14 events are shown through 14 pictures that represent each moment. They are a way to relive and remember what happened. At the Cross in the Woods Parish, the Stations of the Cross are located outside,
Christ in the House of His Parents laid upon his carpentry work-table. Jesus has cut his hand on an exposed nail, symbolizing the stigmata and foreshadowing Jesus' crucifixion. Some of the blood has fallen onto his foot. As Jesus' grandmother, Anne, removes the nail with a pair of pincers, his concerned mother, Mary, offers her cheek for a kiss. Joseph examines Jesus' wounded hand. A young boy, who would later be known as John the Baptist, brings in water to wash the wound, prefiguring his later baptism of Christ. An assistant of Joseph, who represents Jesus' future Apostles, observes these events. In the background of the painting