As fascinating as the history of Station Island is, I didn’t make the trek there for its legends. I went for the windows. Henry Clarke’s stained-glass stations of the cross look like a fairy tale, but here there are no princesses, monsters, or enchanted forests. Instead, the windows depict the most magical story of all: redemption.

In almost every station, someone in the scene looks directly at you, staring into your eyes and letting you know you are seen, that you are part of the event. Look, they say, we are part of this story – and so are you.

Legend holds that Saint Patrick, too, once visited this little island.