Saturday, March 14, 2026: The Twelfth Station: 

Jesus Dies on the Cross

Scripture: Luke 23:44-46

It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, while the sun’s light failed; and the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, “Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last.

Reflection:

Give us the wisdom to use our minds to think for ourselves; teach us to develop and listen to our conscience; fill us with grace to see and experience suffering in a way to get closer to every person we meet. 

Prayer: 

Loving God, your death on the cross felt like a moment of utter darkness, when all was lost. We hold in our hearts so many immigrants in detention who wait in misery to see if they will lose everything they hold dear. Help us – and them – to recall that, because of your cross, death and misery are followed by resurrection.

Story:

My client Santiago came to the United States as an unaccompanied minor and received temporary legal status and a work permit. He had no issues with the law until he was grabbed up in an ICE raid at his workplace. He has now been detained for 6 months in Ohio and has been experiencing increasing medical issues in detention due to the cold temperatures and environment. 

He was recently told the water at the facility is contaminated; they now are given four water bottles to drink each day. His extra blankets and clothes were recently taken by guards as a retaliatory measure for an incident in the detention center, and he complains of being extremely cold. I pray for Santiago, and for all those like him who suffer terrible detention conditions with few options for release.

- CLINIC staff member

In 2025, deaths in detention were numbered at 33, a two-decade high. Meanwhile, the United States reached a record for number of detainees – around 70,000.