The Stages of St. Luke's New Cross, November 2019; Updated June 2020

The old cross comes down.
Welded tubes provide the foundation for the cross.
To say that God works in mysterious ways would be an understatement when it comes to St. Luke’s new cross.
 
Thanks to a flock of woodpeckers roosting in our bell tower and cross, members of the facilities committee came to realize our old decaying wooden cross was in extreme disrepair.  We made the front page of our local paper, The Coeur D’Alene Press, as the old cross was removed. 
 
Fortunately, the cross was already slated to be replaced. The woodpeckers just ensured the project moved right along. The old cross was carefully taken down, burned and the ashes scattered on a nearby parishioner’s property.  
 
Contracting with local artist Sarah Thompson Moore, a new cross made of steel and lightweight concrete is ready to be installed.
 
The making of the cross was a new project for artist Moore. It started by creating the core of the cross which is a welded tube steel frame. It was primed for protection from rust and rigid foam was applied to further develop the shape of the finished cross. Wire mesh was applied to provide a base for the concrete material (Pai Tiya)to adhere to. Several coats of the concrete materials were applied. Finally, the coloring and finishing touches were added. Sarah Moore is pictured here with her work in progress to give you an idea of the size.
 
The project has presented some challenges – the church being built in the 1890’s and the steeple installed in 1959. No blueprints were found to help guide the project and visual inspection/measurements of existing features were the only basis for planning. Brody Cone of Tate Engineering ventured into the bell tower to learn about the interior floor of the tower. Parishioner David Brooks did the framework in the bell tower as well as the fabrication of the mounting system.

To complete the project, a contractor and a crane will be required. In the meantime, a smaller version of the cross is being installed on the gate leading into the columbarium.
Wire Mesh gives the cross additional form and provides the foundation for the concrete overlay
Sarah Moore stand next to the nearly finished cross
Image inside the bell tower
Picture




​The smaller cross to be installed on the lychgate leading into the columbarium. 
The small cross is installed on the lychgate leading into the columbarium in December 2019.
The large cross makes its way home on June 4, 2020, with the help of Ern Warner, David Brooks and Bill Skelton. The Coeur d'Alene Press covered the event, which made front page news.