On the summit of the Mount of Atonement, on the grounds of Graymoor, stands a 16-foot-high wood cross. Fashioned from a cedar tree that once stood in the vicinity, the cross looks out upon beautiful forests. People from all over the world ascend the Holy Mountain to stand by the cross and reflect on God’s glory present in nature and His Son’s sacrifice.
The cross is one of the oldest relics of Graymoor, home of the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement. It was placed there by our founder, Servant of God Fr. Paul Wattson, SA, in 1900. Fr. Paul later reflected, “We called it Corpus Christi Cross because it happened to be the feast of Corpus Christi.”
We’ve repaired the cross on several occasions throughout its long history. The badly rotted cross beam was replaced in 1951. In 1985 a plastic board explaining the Corpus Christ Cross replaced the old wooden board. Hopefully, these periodic repairs will help the cross last another 125 years.
The Corpus Christi Cross is one of our many connections to Fr. Paul and a testament to God’s blessings upon our community.
We invite you to visit Graymoor during this Jubilee year to celebrate with the Friars and pray beside the cross, a sign of hope for the past 125 years and, God willing, for hundreds of years to come.