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Ohio church’s Stations of the Cross to feature depictions by Toledo-area artists

February 09, 2026

[Episcopal News Service] Nine Ohio artists have contributed works that during Lent will form the Stations of the Cross at St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church in the Toledo-area community of Perrysburg. The art will be displayed in the church’s parish hall beginning on Feb. 18, Ash Wednesday, and will remain through April 1. The Rev. Matthew Wahlgren, St. Timothy’s rector, said in a press release that he gave little direction to the participating artists other than the prayer that accompanies each station. “Through their art, we hope to be able to see the depth and breadth of God’s work through their diverse interpretations of Jesus’ sacrifice,” he said. Stations of the Cross – also called Way of the Cross – imitates the practice of visiting the places of Jesus’ Passion in the Holy Land by early Christian pilgrims. The first stations outside Palestine were built in Bologna, Italy, in the fifth century, and the practice became common in other parts of the world in the 15th century. The stations usually include 14 images depicting Jesus on the day of his crucifixion, starting with him being condemned to death and ending with his body being laid in the tomb. It is a common devotion in many Episcopal churches during Lent, the six weeks that precede Easter, when “we journey with Christ to the cross and grave,” Wahlgren said. St. Timothy’s Stations of the Cross “invite us to experience this journey visually as well as through spoken prayers,” he said. Jennifer Balogh, an artist, muralist and illustrator, created the image for the third station, when Jesus falls for the first time. When offered that one, she said she “jumped at the chance” to depict it in art. Her inspiration came from a stained-glass window of this station she saw several years before, she said in the release. “The sun was coming through it so brightly, it seemed to glow,” prompting her to use black light paints to create a black-light effect in her interpretation. Robert Vanitvelt used a more muted pallet in his depiction of the cross being laid on the shoulders of Simon of Cyrene, the fifth station, centering on black and white with watercolors added to it. He said he wanted the piece to emphasize that “now is your time to take up that cross without being asked.” An artists’ reception on March 15 will recognize the work of Balogh and Vanitvelt, along with that of Robert Cummerow, Paula Davis, Samantha Gwyn, Stephanie Knowlton, Steve Mockensturm, Joe Pinciotti and Melanie Wahlgren, who all contributed to the project. The images will be open for viewing to the public in the church’s parish hall from 7-8:30 p.m. on Ash Wednesday. On Wednesdays from Feb. 25 through April 1, they can be viewed from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. On Thursdays from Feb. 19 through March 26, the gallery will be open from 6-8 p.m., and Matthew Wahlgren will lead guided prayers at 7 p.m. each of those days.