HONG KONG (SE): Students at Choi Hung Estate Catholic Secondary School gained a profound understanding of the Passion of Jesus Christ through a life education workshop featuring an outdoor Way of the Cross installation.
The immersive experience allowed participants to reflect on the sufferings of Jesus in a dynamic and sensory way, fostering deeper spiritual insights.
“I can better imagine the sufferings of Jesus and learn not to give up, as Jesus persevered to the end,” said Lam Yuk-sum, a student who participated in the workshop.
The installation, designed by Franciscan Brother William Ng Wei-lit, transformed a pathway alongside the school into six sections marked by progressively lower crosses. Participants took on roles such as the weakening Jesus, soldiers, bystanders, narrators, and musicians, bringing the Passion story to life.
Mosaics depicting Jesus’ journey were placed at each station, accompanied by QR codes that provided video introductions.
Brother Ng explained that the traditional Way of the Cross inside a chapel can be challenging for students, as it relies primarily on written texts and images. The outdoor installation incorporates physical and dramatic elements to enhance understanding.
“If you kneel down under the wooden Cross, even though you can’t feel its weight, you will experience a lot of feelings when you look up,” he said, emphasising the importance of active participation.
Cheryl Chow, an expressive arts facilitator and co-designer of the installation, introduced a creative educational approach by dividing students into three groups. The groups explored different forms of expression: music, physical experiences, and narrative interpretation. Students, regardless of their musical backgrounds, composed simple melodies to convey their emotions, while others carried heavy objects representing the cross. The third group acted out scenes, expressing the Passion story without scripts.
“I am amazed by the expressive power of the students, especially those who are not believers yet showed great enthusiasm to participate,” Chow remarked.
If you kneel down under the wooden Cross, even though you can’t feel its weight, you will experience a lot of feelings when you look up
Brother Ng
The project, which involved theatre workers, religious studies teachers, the counselling team, and school photographers, was initiated in response to the need to rebuild the school’s Way of the Cross following the renovation of the school hall.
Ho Ka-yan, the schools’ principal, highlighted the importance of integrating the spiritual path into students’ daily lives. The path has now been enhanced with vibrant box seats and tables, offering areas for relaxation and contemplation.
Planning for the installation began in 2022, with construction completed in 2023. Throughout the 2023-2024 academic year, students from Form 1 to Form 5 participated in workshops and video recordings. All Form 1 students attended workshops in September 2024, sharing their reflections on how their lives connected with biblical characters.
Ho underscored the value of these video recordings as records of students’ spiritual growth, noting that their perspectives change year by year. The workshop activities are integrated into religious studies classes, and the installation will be used as a teaching tool during Lent this year.
Brother Ng, who worked as a landscape architect before joining the Franciscans, expressed gratitude for the opportunity to contribute his talents to the Church. His design journey began in 2004, when he studied the relationship between religion and the arts in the United States.
Reflecting on the project, he said, “As I watched the project being completed on-site, I felt a great sense of relief that God had blessed me with such grace.”
