Around the nave a visitor will notice the Stations of the Cross, the work of artist Hugh Maurian. This devotion provides the faithful with a way of joining themselves to, and participating in Christ’s passion. The practice became popular in Europe in the Middle Ages, for the faithful who were unable to go on pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Over the centuries the number of Stations has varied widely. The customary fourteen stations emerged in the Low Countries in the 16th century and became the standard in the 18th through the efforts of Leonard of Port Maurice, a Franciscan, who set up over 500 stations around Europe. The actual Station is the small wooden cross, affixed to the wall. The decorative scene is merely to help provide a focus for meditation.