THE MONOLITH CROSS - Unlocking a treasure at St. Andrew’s

The mammoth monolith cross at St. Andrew’s is so mounted that it towers up to both beckon and guide visitors. It was so positioned that, in Bandra of old, it could be seen from way down the road as a beacon to all. Today, it stands partly hidden by trees in an eerie silence proclaiming God’s chosen way of salvation. It is seventeen feet high carved from a single block of stone engraved with 39 symbols from the Old and New Testament. It is the largest monolith cross in Mumbai. However, many fail to appreciate its history and significance in the hustle and bustle of today.

The Mission SONshine team planned an exposé with a special veneration service on 14 September, the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross in this Year of Faith to bring alive the secrets of this treasure.

On this feast, we honour the Holy Cross by which Christ redeemed the world. The public veneration of the cross of Christ originated in the fourth century, according to early accounts. The miraculous discovery of the Cross on 14 September 326 by Saint Helen, mother of Constantine, while she was on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem is the origin of the tradition of celebrating this feast. Emperor Constantine later built the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on the site of her discovery of the cross. On this same pilgrimage, she ordered two other churches be built: one in Bethlehem near the Grotto of the Nativity, the other on the Mount of the Ascension, near Jerusalem.

In the Western Church, the feast came into prominence in the seventh century — after 629, when the Byzantine emperor Heraclius restored the Holy Cross to Jerusalem after defeating the Persians who had stolen it. The feast slowly spread from Jerusalem to other churches until, by the year 720, the celebration was universal. It became a symbol of triumph, as a sign of Christ's victory over death.

The prayer service at the monolith cross was conducted by Fr. Michael Goveas .The cross is mounted on a pedestal twelve feet in height and originally belonged to the College of St. Anne (currently the BEST Bus Depot – the original college long since destroyed by marauding raids during early colonial conflict). It was erected in 1870 at its present location at St. Andrew Church. The cross is hand worked with 39 hand carved symbols. It is these symbols which held the secrets of storyline captions over the years. Fr. Michael conducted a veneration service outdoors after which all followed in fervent procession to unlock its secrets in church.

Fr. Magi Murzello used a PowerPoint presentation to enlighten all on the various types of crosses and their representation. The Latin Cross which is empty reminds us of the resurrection and hope of eternal life, the St. George Cross appears on flags, emblems and coat of arms, the Canterbury Cross is used to symbolise the Christian Faith, the Jerusalem Cross, the Greek Cross, the Coptic Cross, St. Anthony’s, the Tau Cross, St. Thomas Cross, etc. The presentation also detailed the many countries that depict and incorporate crosses on their national flags like Great Britain, Finland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Scotland and Jamaica making the cross a highflying symbol today .

A detailed insight to the 39 symbols on the Monolith Cross and its history was explained during the presentation. Martyr symbols (torture symbols) like the whip, pincers, sword, and hammer are engraved on the front cross beam. Passion Symbols like INRI, hyssop, spear, crown of thorns, pitcher, lantern, seamless coat, hand of Judas stretched out in betrayal, chalice, whipping post are depicted on the front beam. The back cross beam has symbols of an eagle referring to the Apostle John who had glimpses of heavenly things as described in the Book of Revelation, the Sun – symbol of Jesus, the True Son, mirror – a symbol for Mary reflecting the True Son and prophecy, staircase reference to Jacob’s dream and ladder – Jesus refers himself to a ladder in John, “stairs” that link man and God. The back beam had symbols of a walled city – a church on earth symbolizing stability and protection, temple – God is with us, fortress/ watch tower – strength in God, Garden of Eden, a banana tree, squirrel – Christians busying themselves meditating themselves on heavenly things. The presentation unlocked the secrets of symbols thanks to Doug Gray, the symbologist.

Our grateful thanks to Mr. Christopher Curry and Mr. Conrad Gonsalves for insights to unlock the many secrets of this treasure. Special thanks to Fr. Magi and Fr. Michael who helped us understand the greatness of the Feast and unveil the true meaning of the Cross. Because of what it represents, it will always remain a treasure – the most universal and potent symbol of our Christian faith.