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Church proudly displays handmade cross for Good Friday
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The Rev. Stephen Popovich, pastor of St. Paul the Apostle Church in New Middletown, and Russ Ohlin, a church member, stand next to the handmade cross and base that Ohlin crafted. The cross, which has been on display during Lent, will be carried in a Good Friday service at 7 p.m. today.
By LINDA M. LINONIS
linonis@vindy.com
NEW MIDDLETOWN
Throughout the year, the cross stands as a symbol of faith for Christians.
Today, Good Friday, the faithful fix their eyes on the cross and are especially mindful of what it represents — Christ’s suffering and death on the cross at Calvary. Services dedicated to the reading of the Passion of Jesus and cross walks punctuated by prayer are taking place in churches.
At St. Paul the Apostle Church, 10143 Main St., a handmade cross crafted by member Russ Ohlin will be the center of veneration for Good Friday.
The Rev. Stephen Popovich, pastor, asked Ohlin if he could construct a special cross for the church.
“Father asked me if I could come up with a design,” Ohlin said. He admitted he has “kind of a knack” with wood.
That was borne out by the result of the project, which took a month to complete. Ohlin said he finished the cross the week before Lent began on Ash Wednesday, March 9. He said his brother, Mark, helped prepare the wood.
The cross, draped with a purple cloth, has had a prominent place in the back of the sanctuary near the baptistry and holy-water font. The cross has been a natural focal point during Lent as members have entered the gathering place of the church.
“The back of the church is a spiritual place ... with the baptistry and holy water,” Father Popovich said. “We are baptized into the death and Resurrection of Jesus, and we celebrate that,” he added.
The cross will be the center of worship during a Good Friday service at 7 p.m. today. Father Popovich said he would carry the cross to the altar, then four young adults will carry the cross around the church.
The pastor said the phrase, “This is the wood of the cross on which hung the savior of the world” will be chanted three times with the response, “Come let us worship.”
“People will come forth and venerate the cross,” he said.
Father Popovich characterized the Good Friday service as contemplative. He said the Passion of Jesus will be read, and there will be solemn prayers for the world. There will be communion but no Mass.
“The cross is the ultimate sign of unity for Christians,” the pastor said. “It reminds us of God’s love and compassion for all of us.”
Ohlin described the cross as “a simple design.” Its elegant appearance is achieved through craftsmanship and attention to detail.
The cross features a layered look. A cherry layer forms the front and red oak, the back, with walnut and white oak incorporated in the design. White pine, poplar and hickory forms the base.
Ohlin said he wanted the back of the cross to have a “nice appearance” but not be the same as the front.
Ohlin said he used antique nailheads as subtle reminders of where the hands and feet of Jesus were nailed to the cross.
He added that when he brought the cross to the church, Father Popovich blessed it.
Ohlin said crafting the cross was a task he welcomed. “I like to help,” he said. That legacy is part of the family as his father, the late Rudy Ohlin, was one of the founding church members and his mother, Joyce Ohlin, is involved with the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults at the church.
“I hope it reminds people of God’s love for them ... it’s a great love to die for someone,” Ohlin said of the sacrifice of Christ.
Father Popovich added, “The cross is a symbol of the past, present and future of God’s love ... it transcends time.”
The cross will return to the back of the sanctuary for Holy Saturday and Easter, where it will be draped with a white cloth and surrounded by spring flowers. It will remain there for 50 days after Easter until the Feast of Pentecost, June 12.