Nombre de Dios - The Great Cross
by Bob Johnson
Title
Nombre de Dios - The Great Cross
Artist
Bob Johnson
Medium
Photograph
Description
The Great Cross---
It was erected at the direction of Archbishop Joseph P. Hurley, 1966. Like the Prince of Peace Church, the Great Cross celebrates the Four Hundredth anniversary of the Mission of Nombre de Dios and the City of St. Augustine.
Four hundred years earlier, in 1565, Pedro Menedez de Aviles placed a small wooden cross in Florida's soil and founded the Mission of Nombre de Dios. The beginnings of Christianity in this new land led to numerous missions throughout Florida and, eventually, to the flourishing of the faith that we celebrate throughout this country.
The Cross weighs 70 tons and consists of 200 stainless steel panels in various sizes. The loftiest sections of the Cross contain 1.6 ft. x 10 ft. panels 3/16 in. thick, while 4 ft. x 10 ft. and 5/16 in. thick panels cover the foundational sector. To prevent potential damage from hurricane force winds, workers solidified the lower 65 feet of the Great Cross by tightly filling the inside with concrete. At night, lights mounted from the ground provide illumination of the Great Cross.
The base of the Cross is made of granite slabs.
Photo taken at sunrise 2-1-11 in a clearing dense fog
Uploaded
February 2nd, 2011
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