Published: April 07, 2009 07:17 pm      

RANDOM THOUGHTS: Happy Easter to you

“Good people, bless this holy day, For Christ is risen, the angels say. At happy Easter time!” Those few words express the meaning of Easter and each year at Easter time I remember a holy place I have visited that tells the Easter story.

The National Shrine of the Cross in the Woods is located in a state forest in Indian River, Michigan, a small village in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. The parish there was established in 1946. The Rev. Charles Brophy, the first priest, would have liked to name it for a 17th century Mohawk Indian maiden, Katen Tekakwith. After she became a Christian she fashioned small crosses which she placed in trees creating shrines throughout the forest. This was not possible at that time because she had not been named a saint yet.

During the summer season the parish welcomed many visitors to their services and they envisioned enough land to build an outdoor and indoor church. That came to pass and a Michigan architect who studied under Frank Lloyd Wright designed the indoor church to have the look of a typical Indian long house.

This new church was dedicated in 1949 and at that service the announcement was made that plans were under way for Calvary Hill, where the largest crucifix in the world would be created. Another Michigan artist, sculptor Marshall Fredericks, was given the task. He designed and created sketches, did plaster figures over a four-year period and he finally moved to Oslo, Norway for the final bronze casting of the seven ton crucifix. When completed it became one of the largest castings to cross the Atlantic Ocean. It continued into the St. Lawrence to Detroit. There it was transferred to a huge flatbed trailer for its final voyage to Indian River.

From Oregon a huge single redwood tree was cut for use as the cross. Special attention was given to this tree because the lumbermen knew how it was to be used. The 55 foot cross rose atop a small grassy, mound at Indian River. Twenty-eight steps lead to the base of the cross as tradition says Jesus climbed that number to reach the throne of Pontius Pilate who condemned him to death.

Only placing the body on the cross remained. From head to toe the body measures 28 feet and the outstretched arms span 21 feet. This Christ on the cross does not wear a crown of thorns or spear wound because the sculptor Fredericks deliberately omitted them. He wished to portray Jesus serene at the moment of death as his spirit was commended to God.

Thousands have visited and found inspiration at the National Shrine of the Cross in the Woods. It is especially meaningful at Easter but it carries a strong message for any season.