Krievac Cross Mountain
5,300ft Elevation

We walk by Faith, not by Sight
2 Cor 5:7

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The parish priest, Fr. Bernardin Smoljan, and the parishioners completed the 8.5 meter cross of reinforced concrete on March 15, 1934.

The following words were engraved on the cross:
"TO JESUS CHRIST, THE REDEEMER OF THE HUMAN RACE, AS A SIGN OF OUR FAITH, LOVE AND HOPE, IN MEMORY OF THE 1900th ANNIVERSARY OF THE PASSION OF JESUS."

In the center of the cross, they placed a relic of the authentic Cross of Jesus, which Christians has venerated as the cross on which Jesus was crucified. This relic was received as a gift from Rome, where the larger part of the authentic Cross is being kept in the Church of 'Santa Croce di Gerusalemme'.

Ever since, it has become a custom to celebrate Holy Mass at its base on the first Sunday after September 8th, in honor of the Triumph of the Cross.

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We climbed the Cross Mountain in the next morning after 8AM. It was rather cold in the early morning. The previous day of climbing the Apparition Hill well prepared us for this climb, almost twice as high on this uphill, yet treacherous trails; many people were ahead of us on the trail in the morning. The head trail started right off the main road, there were a few shops around here. We prepared the climb with the good gears, tennis shoes and hiking sticks, safety accommodations was none on the slope, many came and went straight uphill walking in Faith despite of their body conditions through the moonscape terrain. Millions had made to the Cross at the top, many millions would continue to come here from all over the world by the divine appointment, each brought home with a private message in the heart, filled with His Spirit.

At each station, we had time to catch our breadth, recited the rosary, and immediately moved on to the next as other groups sometimes waited behind. We scaled the 5,300ft height mountain without notice and seemed like effortless. Our oldest member in the 80's, plus another elder couple with bodily illness did make to the top, we did not leave anyone in the group behind, the one needed help the most got help moving people upward the slope looking like the moonscape, treacherous rocky trails. The miracle of His Spirit was working among us.

The last station of 14 was exhilarating; the White Cross appeared tall distinctly against the top skyline. We all gathered around the Cross in silence each prayed in our own intention, the morning wind was gentle and our souls touched the Heaven. At this location God has revealed to His people and the world.

At this height, this far and away from home, the spiritual mountain filled our searching soul of the pilgrimage trip. The sun was on top of us, the wind was calm, the air was a bit chilly. The Cross nearby and His Presence were standing still and quiet, a few others also reached the top resting by His feet. Not a human sound around, just light wind as it moves through nature. "Be Still, I am your God".
The town below appeared tiny as His wonder of creation and providence displayed in full of grace. I turned downhill to catch up with the group.

About the Station 13 was Fr Slavko Barbaric memorial 24.11.2000. Born into Heaven, IMG_0693.jpg. He died at 3:30 p.m. After the Way of the Cross, that he led usually every Friday on the Hill of Krizevac for parishioners and pilgrims, he felt some pain. He sat down on a rock, then lay down on the ground, lost consciousness and gave his soul over to the Lord.


Images were recorded at certain elevation with respect with the size of the town below, the terrain was like the Mars expedition, with no photographic merit. Multitudes of faithful peoples from all over the world traversed the mountain, from sun-up to sundown in contemplated and spiritual triumphs, to touch the White Cross at the top; then returned home. Their life were never be the same.

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+_________STATIONS of the CROSS________+

Known as Way of the Cross, Via Crucis. Via Dolorosa . Way of Sorrows, or simply, The Way.

Refers to the depiction of the final hours (or Passion) of Jesus, and the devotion commemorating the Passion. The tradition as chapel devotion began with St. Francis of Assisi and extended throughout the Catholic Church in the medieval period. It is less often observed in the Anglican and Lutheran churches. It may be done at any time, but is most commonly done during the Season of Lent, especially on Good Friday and on Friday evenings during Lent.

+___Traditional form___+

The Stations themselves are usually a series of 14 pictures or sculptures depicting the following scenes:

1. Jesus is condemned to death
2. Jesus receives the cross
3. Jesus falls the first time
4. Jesus meets His Mother
5. Simon of Cyrene carries the cross
6. Veronica wipes Jesus' face with her veil
7. Jesus falls the second time
8. Jesus meets the daughters of Jerusalem
9. Jesus falls the third time
10. Jesus is stripped of His garments
11. Crucifixion: Jesus is nailed to the cross
12. Jesus dies on the cross
13. Jesus' body is removed from the cross (Pieta)
14. Jesus is laid in the tomb and covered in incense.

+___Alternate forms___+

___RESURRECTION___
An alternate set of stations is widely used in the Philippines, where most of the population is Roman Catholic. Although not part of the traditional set of Stations, the Resurrection of Jesus is now more and more integrated as part of The Way. Usually at the end of these stations there is a place where one can light candles and place them upon an altar.
Note that this form departs from the traditional form by including the resurrection (see later section on the place of the resurrection in the Stations).
1. Jesus institutes the Eucharist
2. Jesus prays in Gethsemane
3. Jesus before the Sanhedrin
4. Jesus is scourged and crowned with thorns
5. Jesus carries the cross to Calvary
6. Jesus falls under the weight of the cross
7. Jesus is helped by Simon of Cyrene
8. Jesus meets the pious women of Jerusalem
9. Jesus is nailed on the cross
10. Jesus promises Heaven to the repentant thief
11. Jesus entrusts Mary and John to each other
12. Jesus suffers and dies on the cross
13. Jesus is taken down from the cross, and is laid in the tomb
14. Jesus rises from the dead

____SCRIPTURAL Way of the Cross___

Out of the fourteen traditional Stations of the Cross, only eight have scriptural foundation: Stations 3, 4, 6, 7, and 9 being unattested in any of the gospels; and Station 13 being a misrepresentation of the gospel account (it represents Jesus's body being taken down off the cross and laid into the arms of Mary, while all four gospels state that Joseph of Arimathea alone took Jesus down from the cross and buried him). In order to correct these deficiencies, Pope John Paul II introduced a new form of devotion, called the Scriptural Way of the Cross on Good Friday 1991. He celebrated that form thereafter at the Colosseum in Rome. In 2007, Pope Benedict XVI approved this set of stations for meditation and public celebration: They follow this sequence:
1. Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemani,
2. Jesus is betrayed by Judas and arrested,
3. Jesus is condemned by the Sanhedrin,
4. Jesus is denied by Peter,
5. Jesus is judged by Pilate,
6. Jesus is scourged and crowned with thorns,
7. Jesus takes up his cross,
8. Jesus is helped by Simon to carry his cross,
9. Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem,
10. Jesus is crucified,
11. Jesus promises his kingdom to the good thief,
12. Jesus entrusts Mary and John to each other,
13. Jesus dies on the cross,
14. Jesus is laid in the tomb.

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