The Church of Christ the Savior in Prague’s Barrandov district has acquired a significant new work of art—the Stations of the Cross by the academic painter Pavel Šlegl. The large-scale mural was created directly within the church and sensitively engages with its modern, minimalist architecture.

The artist drew on the traditional arrangement of fourteen stations, but did not opt for separate, precisely delineated paintings. The individual scenes flow freely into one another, creating a single continuous narrative that unfolds chronologically from left to right. The entire Stations of the Cross can thus be perceived as a single narrative, yet it also allows viewers to pause at each of its moments. The stations are marked by small crosses made of polished stainless steel.

The artistic technique is also unusual. The work was created as scraped sgraffito “in situ,” that is, directly on the church wall. A top layer of stucco was applied over the darker base layer, into which the artist scraped individual lines and figures. The surface was subsequently finished with fresco painting. The subdued color palette is intentional: the Stations of the Cross are not meant to be distracting in the church’s minimalist interior or to draw attention to themselves. On the contrary, the delicate lines and subtle hints of color invite a careful gaze, a sense of calm, and personal contemplation.

The Stations of the Cross commemorate the final stage of Jesus’ earthly life—from his condemnation, through his falls, encounters, and acceptance of human assistance, to his death and burial. However, it is not merely a retelling of a historical event. Its stations reflect human pain, loneliness, and helplessness, but also compassion, closeness, courage, and hope that does not end even in the face of death.

The completed work will be presented to the public on Monday, September 14, 2026, on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. The program will begin at 6:00 p.m. with Holy Mass, followed by a presentation of the new Stations of the Cross. Pavel Čížek will perform on the organ.

The solemn blessing of the Stations of the Cross will take place on Sunday, September 20, during Holy Mass at 10:30 a.m. The main celebrant will be Monsignor Jan Baxant, Bishop Emeritus of Litoměřice. Both events at the Church of Christ the Savior are open to the general public and offer an opportunity to experience contemporary sacred art in the space for which it was created.