Why a shrine to the Holy Cross? Precisely because St. Francis de Sales was devoted to the Cross. His spirituality centered entirely on divine love, meekness and embracing life’s difficulties through union with Jesus crucified. He taught that the Cross was a gift and urged believers to walk simply with the Lord’s Cross to find peace in daily patience.
Every time I think about this shrine that is being built on the campus, I get overwhelmed by the powerful presence of God’s providence in our lives. When we first started to dream and talk about this with Ethan Pham for his Eagle Scout project, I knew that we would need an altar to celebrate Mass outside. But I never fathomed that it would be the altar from Immaculate Conception in Kenmore! The timing was remarkable! Even though this was not part of the plan, it was part of God’s plans. It is always awesome to see God at work. In July, just the day before the anniversary of Fr. Michael B. Smith’s passing, the altar made it to the shrine. It was fascinating to watch Henninger’s take the altar apart and install it here for years to come. Below, you will find pictures of Henninger’s at work installing the altar.
During the process, I found the relic that was made for the altar in the sacristy and was able to put it in the altar and have them seal it up. In one of the pictures, you can read from Bishop Begin that the relics made for this altar are from the martyrs St. Felicitas and St. Donatus. St. Felicitas is a 2nd century martyr who is patron saint of mothers. She watched her seven sons get martyred before she was martyred herself. St. Donatus is a 4th century bishop and martyr who is patron saint of lightning bolts, which should suit us well for outdoor worship!
In the next month, you will see a granite cross be installed. But before that, a foundation must be built. After that, landscaping will be added and then a fence around the top of the retaining wall. Once the fence is finished, we will be able to use it for outdoor worship. While I was hoping to use it this year, we may have to wait for the spring of 2027. But again, our plans are not God’s plans. Thank you for your patience in waiting to use it until it is safe.
St. Felicitas and St. Donatus, pray for us,
Fr. Jeremy
“Your Cross” by St. Francis de Sales
“The everlasting God has in His wisdom foreseen from eternity the cross that He now presents to you as a gift from His inmost heart. This cross He now sends you He has considered with His all-knowing eyes, understood with His divine mind, tested with His wise justice, warmed with loving arms and weighed with His own hands to see that it be not one inch too large and not one ounce too heavy for you. He has blessed it with His holy Name, anointed it with His consolation, taken one last glance at you and your courage, and then sent it to you from heaven, a special greeting from God to you, an alms of the all-merciful love of God.”
