August 27, 2025 // Diocese

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish Aims to ‘Build Bridges’ with New Outdoor Stations of the Cross

Eric Peat

A walk down a stretch of the Aboite Trails in southwest Fort Wayne can now coincide with a walk with Jesus on the road to Calvary.

Earlier this summer, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish completed the installation of an outdoor Stations of the Cross, located along a pathway running parallel with Aboite Center Road in front of the church. Jennifer Engquist, who has heard a number of proposals for projects along this path in her eight years as business manager at the parish, said this one came to fruition thanks to a generous donation from the Mastrangelo family.

“We had a family reach out to me specifically to see if there was anything they could do to memorialize their parents, who were longtime parishioners and had passed away,” said Engquist, referring to Dr. Michael Mastrangelo and his wife, Grace. “We just kind of talked about several different things. Their mom loved gardening, and both parents were big about their Catholic faith and evangelizing through their faith.”

In discussions involving both Father Terry Coonan, pastor at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, and Father Jake Schneider, parochial vicar, one vision in particular began to take shape.

“Ideas went around, and eventually we got to, ‘What about something on the property outside, like walking stations?’” Father Schneider told Today’s Catholic. “We have a path, so it’s not only great for parishioners, but it’s also a great sign for those who aren’t Christian or Catholic to encounter the last moments of Jesus’ life.”

While Engquist collaborated with the Mastrangelos to “bring the family vision to life,” Father Schneider researched different options and worked with the parish’s finance council on the remainder of the funding for the project.

Because the stations would be located so close to public property – on St. Elizabeth Ann Seton grounds, but next to a section of the Aboite Trails – the church had to obtain a zoning approval from the Fort Wayne Plan Commission. Proposing the project before the city brought a higher degree of attention from the public. While it was met with criticism from some, the church received affirmation from others, including support from some unexpected places.

“It’s already building bridges, which is one of the hopes that we have for the pathway: to build bridges between us and the community, between God and the community,” Engquist said. “To give a bridge to people to find a pathway to their relationship with God.”

The 14 statues, which are made of fiberglass and colored bronze, are anchored into the ground on cement blocks. Each one is approximately 5 feet tall, with the crucifixion being around 8 feet. Reactions from inside the parish have been positive, as Engquist said she has fielded multiple phone calls from parishioners simply thanking the church for installing the stations.

“Now that they’re up, we’re all still a little awed by it,” Engquist said. “You almost have no words, because as you stand at one point and look one way or the other, you’re awed by these 14 stations and what they all stand for. You end up being speechless, really.”

In addition to being available to the parish community for private contemplation, Father Schneider said the church plans to hold a guided Stations of the Cross devotion close to Holy Week next year, weather permitting. Meditating on the final moments of Jesus’ life, Father Schneider explained, is an essential exercise in faith for believers.

“That is the Paschal Mystery of which we have received our redemption and sanctification,” Father Schneider said. “It was through that work Jesus accomplished on the cross that gives us our triumph over sin and death, so it’s important as Christians to reflect on it, because you can never exhaust the magnitude of what Christ went through for us.”