Enter into the profound and contemplative world of St. Francis of Assisi as you meditate on the Way of the Cross of Jesus Christ. With the convenience of being able to continue right where you left off if you get interrupted, this app allows for uninterrupted meditation. You can also adjust the font size for easy reading and tap into full screen mode for a more immersive experience. The app also offers the ability to change the language of the content between English, Italian, French, and Portuguese, catering to a diverse audience. With the option to hide or show prayers displayed at the end of each mystery, you can customize your experience. Join in prayer for the holy souls in Purgatory and lend support for the continued development of Catholic apps.

Via Crucis is a Stations of the Cross app built around meditations attributed to St. Francis of Assisi. Each station has a short reading from St. Francis, an image, and the traditional prayers at the end.

You walk through the fourteen stations at your own pace. Tap to advance. Tap an image to enlarge it. The app remembers where you left off, so if a kid interrupts you mid-station, you do not have to start over the next time. You can also switch the language between English, Italian, French, and Portuguese, which is handy if you pray in more than one tongue or if you are sharing a phone with someone who does.

St. Francis's meditations have a particular character. They are affectionate toward Christ, plain in their words, free of the heavier rhetoric you sometimes find in later spiritual writing. Reading them slowly during Lent is a different experience than the standard Stations you would hear at a Friday parish devotion. There is room in them for tears and for quiet, and not much room for performance.

It fits the rhythm of Lent — Friday nights, the holy hour during Holy Week, or any afternoon when you want to walk with Christ for half an hour. Older kids who can read and sit still will get more out of this than they would from a printed booklet, since the images keep their attention.

It is not fancy. The design is plain. There is no audio narration, so if you want someone to read the stations aloud while you pray, this is not that. And it is not a substitute for praying the Stations physically in a church. It is a good companion when that is not possible.

$2.99, one-time purchase, no subscription. By Leonard Mamangkey, an independent Catholic developer. On the App Store: Via Crucis. Three dollars to pray the Stations with St. Francis is a fair trade.