‘Scourged
Christ’ statue
A traveling reminder
of Christ’s Passion
By Christie L. Chicoine
CS&T Staff Writer
A traveling statue depicting the scourged Christ — His hands bound,
body torn, head crowned with thorns — is so popular among Catholics
across the Archdiocese that it is booked for display in area churches
on dates that span the next three years.
“We are now booked for the season of Lent all the way to 2011, so
we started placing the statue in parishes at other times during the liturgical
year,” said Jack Polito, a member of St. Barnabas Parish in Southwest
Philadelphia. He coordinates the statue’s visits in and around the
Archdiocese.
During Lent this year, the statue is being displayed at St. Ignatius of
Antioch Church in Yardley.
Until five years ago, the 85-year-old plaster statue was displayed once
a year, during Holy Week, in St. Mary of Czestochowa Church at 59th Street
and Elmwood Avenue in the Eastwick section of Philadelphia.
St. Mary Parish closed in 2000, but the church remained open as a worship
site until June 2003. During the following Lent, the “Scourged Christ”
statue became a pilgrim statue, displayed throughout the Lenten season
in parishes across the Archdiocese and outlying communities.
Because of its vivid depiction of Christ’s wounded body, it is not
appropriate to display the statue during all liturgical seasons, said
Polito, who coordinates its exhibition in parishes with their pastors.
The three-man team that makes up the apostolate — Polito, Mike Castagno
of St. John of the Cross Parish in Roslyn and Jason Mango of St. Monica
Parish in South Philadelphia — transports the large statue at no
cost. Polito, 66, said the only request he makes to parishes is that the
statue be displayed in the main church for at least four weeks.
“We just don’t have the manpower or resources to move the
statue every week or two, and there’s also the danger of damage
to the image,” he said. “It is very heavy, and not constructed
to be constantly moved.”
According to Polito, donations generated through the statue’s tours
remain with each host parish as a gesture of thanks for spreading devotion
to the Passion of Jesus.
“What better way to bring to mind the reality of what Christ suffered
than to look upon an image of that suffering in vivid detail?” he
said.
The statue dates to 1932, when it was crafted by the now defunct, Chicago-based
firm, John T. Daleiden Co. Although several such statues were made by
the company, the exact number is not known.
In December 1935, fire destroyed the original, modest wood church of St.
Mary of Czestochowa. A new stone structure was erected the following year.
Around that time, St. Mary’s pastor purchased the “Scourged
Christ” statue for the new church.
When St. Mary Church closed as a worship site, Polito, who was the sexton
there, obtained permission from the Archdiocese to take care of the statue,
and to move it from parish to parish.
For more information about the statue’s tour schedule, visit the
Web site: www.passionofjesus.com or call Jack Polito at (215) 492-0940.
CS&T Staff Writer Christie L. Chicoine can be reached at (215)
587-2468 or cchicoin@adphila.org.