New Byzantine-style icon replaces carved crucifix above the altar
The B.C. Catholic
The cathedral marked the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross in a special way this year. A Byzantine-style crucifix was hoisted above the altar and blessed at Holy Rosary Cathedral in time for the Sept. 14 feast.
“There’s something sorrowful about the cross, but it’s also a symbol of our redemption, so it’s beautiful as well,” said Archbishop J. Michael Miller, CSB, who celebrated Mass, then blessed the new crucifix.
The icon, about eight feet by five feet, depicts Jesus crucified, with Mary and John standing on either side of Him.
“We can imagine this is the moment of the great dialogue between Jesus, Mary, and John, when Mary was given to us as our mother through John,” the archbishop said.
“The Church is gathered at the cross.”
The combination of light and dark colours match the cathedral’s blue walls and stained glass. Around the edges of the icon is a full “rosary” of 223 golden beads.
“My heart feels like it’s going to blow out of my chest. I’m just overwhelmed,” said local artist Frank Turner, who spent one year working on the piece.
“It is definitely the biggest project that I’ve done.”
Turner has written many icons that are displayed across the Archdiocese of Vancouver, including a six-foot by five-foot crucifix at the John Paul II Pastoral Centre.
This latest piece of art will be seen by thousands during Sunday Masses, daily Masses, special feasts, and ordinations throughout the year. It replaces a carved wooden crucifix that used to hang in the apse above the altar.
“They wanted a cross with a little more presence. The old cross is a lovely piece and it’s going to be retired to the chapel of the Gardens of Gethsemani,” he explained.
“It’s a better scale for that location. It was a little small for the cathedral.”
Archbishop Miller praised Turner for his work and thanked the Abi-Rached family for donating the funds.
The new cross is “truly magnificent” in a way that is “not purely ornamental,” he said. It “reflects the grandeur and the greatness of the mystery into which we are invited at Mass and in our lives.”
