As you enter the Narthex, there is now a stone sculpture placed in the garden area.  This is part of a cruceiro or wayside cross which was designed and carved in Spain for our new parish campus and generously donated by the Wilson family.  The cross will one day rest atop a stone column and base (currently in storage) and mark the southern entrance of our property; it is a literal milestone on the Road to Our New Home.

What's a cruceiro?
Pilgrims have set out for Santiago de Compostela in Spain for over 1,000 years, coming from all across Europe to visit the resting place of St. James the Apostle.  Along the way they would pass by countless crosses, called cruceiros, which marked the way.  The crosses were mounted on top of columns, and also featured the images of Our Lady and St. James.  Our sculpture is inspired by these crosses and pilgrimages, symbolizing the journey of each Christian through life, just as our new church will symbolize the goal of that journey: Heaven and the encounter with God. 

Artist's draft sketch of the completed cruceiro:

 

 















From the Pastor:
“I have walked sections of the Camino (the pilgrimage route to Compostela) on two occasions, as have some of our fellow parishioners, and am pleased that our new campus will feature a wonderful outdoor cruceiro .  Our life is a journey, not an aimless one, but one with a destination.  The journey was made possible by the Paschal Mystery of Christ – His Death and Resurrection.  Along the way we enjoy the protection and help of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Saints, like St. James.  May our new statue remind us of the goal of this life: a destination in the Father’s own house in heaven.”
 
Our cruceiro will have a special place on our new campus for all to make their own "pilgrimages" there.

How was our cruceiro made?
The project began with the generous donation of the Wilson Family to fund this enhancement of our new campus.  The parish then engaged sculptor Julio Martinez Martinez, a craftsman from the part of Spain which is famous for these crosses, and who specializes in just this type of sculpture.  The cruceiro took about 6 months to complete: Julio began with preliminary sketches like the one above, then created models for reference as he carved each piece by hand from stone (see photos below).  The stone used is a beautiful granite found in Galicia (northern Spain) called silvestre vilachan; it contains brilliant silvery flecks and is prized by Galician and Portuguese sculptors.   The cross you see in the Narthex, with Jesus on one side and Mary on the other, is carved from a single block of stone!  This and the other pieces for the column and base, with St. James, were shipped to the United States and now await our move to our new church.