Sault's towering cross a labour of love for faithful volunteers

For decades, the cross located at the top of St. Georges Avenue East has looked over Sault Ste. Marie as a source of spiritual comfort and inspiration for many.

In 1958 members of the Sault’s St. Mary’s College men’s club decided to erect the cross at the site in commemoration of a wooden cross that was put into place by Jesuit priests at a ceremony in 1671 following the French exploration and colonization of much of North America.

The Sault was originally home to the first Anishinaabe people when the Jesuits gave it the name Sault Ste. Marie, which translates to "The Rapids of St. Mary."

Individuals such as Mike Lukenda, Mike Perepelytz and William Taylor, industries including Algoma Steel, Imperial Steel Construction Co. and Mannesmann Tube Company along with many community members contributed toward the construction and erection of the metal cross.

Its roots extending 21 feet below the ground, the 120-foot fluorescent tube-illuminated cross was completed in 1960.

Lit at night, it stands out on the Sault’s skyline. 

It is reputedly the tallest self-supporting cross in the Western Hemisphere.

Deliberately broken or burned-out bulbs were a problem.

Though the bulbs were restored and the cross relit through donations in 1981, more vandalism of lighting darkened the cross for seven years before it was lowered in April 1994. The fluorescent lighting system was replaced with more economical light piping. The cross was sandblasted, reinforced, welded and repainted.

It was raised again April 14, 1995 — on Good Friday.

1,500 people celebrated the occasion at the site, immediately west of what is now St. Basil Catholic Elementary School at 250 St. Georges Ave. E.

They included Anglican, Roman Catholic and Evangelical Christian clergy figures.

Hymns sung at the ceremony included Be Exalted O God, Amazing Grace, Faithful Cross, When I Survey the Wondrous Cross and How Great Thou Art.

The cross stays rooted and lit and the surrounding property maintained through the efforts of the Light The Cross board, volunteer workers and community donations.

“We meet about three times a year," said Emma Naccarato, Light The Cross board member. "We discuss different things that are going on. We try to see what the best thing is to do in certain situations. Sometimes some of the lights will go off so someone has to get the crane and change them and that gets expensive."

As the board’s secretary and treasurer, Naccarato receives donations for maintenance of the cross and distributes slips for income tax purposes to donors.

The cross itself, as well as the surrounding property — which includes a large lawn, trees, flowers and benches where visitors can sit — needs continual care that includes lawn-mowing, fertilizer and a sprinkler system.

PUC Services needs to be paid to keep the cross lit and there are insurance costs for the site.

“The donations and volunteers keep us afloat,” Naccarato said.

“If we didn’t get so much from donations our expenses would be over $5,000 or more (a year),” said Neil DelBianco, Light The Cross board member and volunteer.

DelBianco regularly mows the lawn and has painted the benches at the site.

“If we had to pay somebody to cut the grass here it would be at least $200 each cut,” Naccarato said. 

There are approximately 20 volunteers who care for the site, including Claudette Breton, who devotes a great deal of time to tending to the property’s gardens.

The donors are many, Naccarato said.

“People donate to the cross at people’s funerals, in memory of those who have passed away and others who donate just because they love it here. They come here and they can sit and pray and we get donations from them.”

Some local Evangelical Christian and Roman Catholic parishes donate to the cross, Naccarato said.

“Some people have come here for a celebration of life, some people have gotten married here,” DelBianco said.

Roman Catholics have used the site for first communions and baptisms.

Since 2018, worshippers have gathered at the site for one evening each summer to enjoy a time of prayer, singing along to live music from several Christian singers and listening to pastors deliver inspirational messages of hope at the annual ‘A Thousand Voices at the Cross’ event presented by Christian radio station CJTK 106.5 FM. 

As SooToday reported yesterday, the 2024 'A Thousand Voices at the Cross' will take place beginning at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 24. Doors open at 6 p.m. Admission is free. 

“The history of the sight amazes me. It was originally erected in the late 1600s and designated as a place of peace for all peoples. It’s a place where anyone can come to pray or reflect in a peaceful setting. It’s also a visual reminder of God’s sacrifice for all of us. It’s a beautiful place in the Sault,” DelBianco said.

“The Light The Cross committee invites all people of any denomination to come and pray and reflect at this oasis of peace,” Naccarato said.

“I think it’s a beacon of light for Sault Ste. Marie and it reminds us that Jesus died for our sins,” DelBianco said. “It’s also a nice place for people to come and relax in a quiet way. I see people here on a regular basis."

Naccarato said donations for cross maintenance can be made online at CanadaHelps, a site where donations can be made to any registered Canadian charity or at the Light the Cross website. 

Cheque donations can also be mailed to Light the Cross at 25 Sunnyside Beach Road, Sault Ste. Marie, ON P6A 6K4.