Global Faith, Global Community

St. John's Abbey, Minnesota

Heather Dillon, associate professor of mechanical engineering

Karen Eifler and I went looking for a crucifix at St. John’s University in Minnesota during our stay there in June 2019 for the Collegium, a Colloquy on Faith and Intellectual Life. I was struck by the deep roots of the Benedictine order at St. John’s. Many of the architectural elements on the campus reflect these roots, including the beautiful abbey church with a honeycomb pattern that is echoed across the campus. The crucifix we found on campus also echoes the symmetry and the order of St. Benedict. Clean lines, simple and elegant geometries, with beautiful details. The wood of the cross comes from the land near the campus, and it was crafted by one of the brothers on campus. Many of my favorite parts of Jesus’ life and teachings are captured beautifully by the Rule of St. Benedict. Both humility and the importance of listening are very important in the Order, and both are uniquely challenging to most of us in modern times. The crucifix from St. John’s will always remind me to both listen carefully and to seek balance.

El Salvador

Karen Eifler, co-director of the Garaventa Center for Catholic Intellectual Life and American Culture and professor of education

I was accompanying students and members of the Campus Ministry staff on a pilgrimage to El Salvador in May 2019. I found the crucifix in a shop run by a collective of indigenous artists who are striving mightily to resurrect the arts of the region and who are committed to fair trade practices and compensation for artists. This crucifix is filled with bright colored enamels typical of the art style of the region. The Christ figure is surrounded by village children and their parents. Its vibrancy drew me at first, and I love the communitarian dimension of it: we are all the Body of Christ, sharing in both the crucifixion and the resurrection we are sure to experience. Being in El Salvador was completely overwhelming, but the stunning, bright colors and artistry on display in these crucifixes convinces me that the people of El Salvador know they are holy, beloved of God, and resilient in ways I can barely fathom.

Montgomery, Alabama

Tshombé Brown, program manager for service & community partnerships in the Moreau Center for Service and Justice

I was the primary accompanier for the Moreau Center civil rights immersion, where I found the crucifix. For the several days we stayed in Montgomery, Alabama, we were hosted by Resurrection Catholic Church and Resurrection Catholic Missions. The Church membership is mostly African American and is pastored by Fr. Manuel Williams, CR, who is African American himself. The crucifix has African American features and was beautifully sculpted by a Polish sculptor, Wiktor Szostalo, with bronze, wood, and stainless steel materials. It’s beautiful that a black person can “see their face” in Christ’s, when we rarely experience representations of Jesus that are not Caucasian-centric.

Assisi, Italy

Lisa Reed, associate dean for undergraduate programs and global initiatives for the Pamplin School of Business and associate professor of business

Elise Moentmann, associate provost and associate professor of history

We had just completed the University of Portland pilgrimage in France in July 2018 and then took a trip to Assisi, Italy. St. Francis adopted the Tau cross as his personal sign, and it is now the symbol of the Franciscan order. The Tau cross is shaped like the Greek letter Tau, hence its name. The Tau crucifix is made from olive wood, which grows abundantly in the Umbrian area of Italy, where Assisi is located.

Moshi, Tanzania

Laurie Laird, director of the Moreau Center for Service and Justice

I was accompanying the new social justice immersion to Tanzania that I developed in collaboration with Mwenge Catholic University and Holy Cross parishes in Kitete and Sombetini when I purchased this cross. We really liked the image of the hands and the Holy Spirit. I don’t know who the artist is nor the material it is made from, though it is wood, and someone said that the black wood is indigenous to the area. The image makes me think of the many hands we touched during our time in Tanzania and that the experience was guided by the Holy Spirit for sure. So many things that happened and were possible were just pure grace.

Tohono O'odham Nation, Arizona

Irene Routte, former program manager for the Moreau Center for Service and Justice

I was in Arizona as part of the Moreau Center for Service and Justice border immersion. We visited the Tohono O'odham Nation, which occupies tribal lands in Southwest Arizona. The cross was found at Mission St. Xavier de bac, located on the Tohono O'odham Nation Reservation about 10 miles outside Tucson, Arizona. The mission was founded in 1692, and the church was built in 1783. I chose the cross because it was made by a local artist from the Tohono O'odham Nation and because it illustrates the strong influence and melding of indigenous, mestizo, and Mexican styles you see in the region. I appreciated the cruciform being represented as a bird as a representation possibly of peace, but even more so the connection between spirituality and the natural world.

Hawaii

Private collection of Earle A. Chiles

This cross was a gift to University of Portland from the late regent Earle A. Chiles.

Venice, San Marco

Christi Hancock, associate professor and chair of the history department

I found the crucifix at St. Mark’s Basilica (San Marco) in Venice. I traveled with my husband and three kids during a weekend while teaching in the summer Salzburg program. My husband and I had both been to Venice before, but our kids were very excited to visit the city of canals. Our favorite part of that trip was visiting the Doge’s Palace in the evening after the crowds had thinned, and we nearly had the space to ourselves. Around 9 p.m., we looked out the window of a second floor room and watched the lunar eclipse — it was quite spectacular.

Cuenca, Ecuador

Richard Christen, emeritus professor in the School of Education

I found the crucifix in Cuenca, Ecuador, when I was teaching in the UP study abroad program in Quito. On a free weekend, I visited Cuenca from Quito, which is an hour flight south. I bought the crucifix at a shop connected to an anthropology/archeology museum in Cuenca. Cuenca is a very traditional city, and the museum gave us a great feel for the traditional culture of Ecuador. I felt that the crucifix represented that tradition — a mix of indigenous Ecuador and Catholicism. The style of the cross is one you see throughout Ecuador, especially in Cuenca and the south. This cross helps me to think about the relationship between Catholicism and places in the Western Hemisphere that it has spread to. At times this relationship can be a colonial one, with Catholicism overwhelming indigenous traditions. But at its best, Catholicism merges with, enriches, and allows for new expressions of indigenous values and skills.

Bologna, Italy

Catherine Jacobs ’18

I was spending my second summer in Italy studying opera when I found the crucifix in Bologna. I visited Santo Stefano, a beautiful complex of around five different chapels, a crypt, and a cloister. I knew that I wanted something to help me remember Santo Stefano, and I had it blessed by a priest. During my time in Italy, Santo Stefano — an ancient, sacred place — was one of the churches I could count on to center myself in the midst of the constant movement of the performance world.

Ndanda, Tanzania

Sr. Angela Hoffman, OSB, professor of chemistry

I am a Benedictine sister from Lacey, Washington. One of my community’s postulants visited Tanzania in December to attend the 25th jubilee of Sr. Donatha Gunda, OSB, in Ndanda, Tanzania, and brought back several carvings, including this crucifix. I loved the feeling of “embrace” that the crucifix gave…like “this is for everyone, please accept my gift!” I saw a variety of Tanzanian crucifixes when I was there for about a month a few years ago. The carvings usually have a kind of simplicity along with detail that the carvers add. We visited one of the artist colonies and watched the apprentices learn from skilled crafts people.

Granada, Nicaragua

Laurie Laird, director of the Moreau Center for Service and Justice

I bought this crucifix at a curio shop in Granada, Nicaragua, when I was there on the Nicaragua social justice immersion. It was the only crucifix for sale I saw the whole time we were there, so I was thrilled to find something. It’s asymmetrical and a simple wood carving that is beautiful in its simplicity. It was the last year we journeyed to Nicaragua as the political situation erupted in 2019, and we had to cancel the immersion that year and have not returned.

El Salvador

Michael Prendergast, adjunct instructor in theology and music

The cross was a gift from a colleague who brought it back from a pilgrimage to El Salvador to visit the tomb of slain Archbishop St. Óscar Romero. I am a collector of sacred art and have dozens of icons and other sacred images in my home in North Portland. I have about six of these crosses in my house, and they are of various sizes. The vibrant colors draw one’s attention. This pine cross is called the New Creation Cross because the figure of Christ stands under the sun and he is surrounded by animals ­­— namely rabbits and birds — hills, trees, and plants. These crosses from El Salvador are carved by the men and hand-painted and finished by the women in La Palma. They are intricately designed, and due to their handmade nature, there can be some discrepancies in colors and slight changes in designs. I like that images of creation, animals, and the holy people of God are depicted in this cross. The cross speaks of inclusion and raises up the dignity of each human person who is an image of Christ in the world.

San Damiano, Assisi, Italy

Lisa Reed, associate dean for undergraduate programs and global initiatives for the Pamplin School of Business and associate professor of business

Elise Moentmann, associate provost and associate professor of history

We had just completed the University of Portland pilgrimage in France in July 2018 and then took a trip to Assisi, Italy. This crucifix has a strong connection to St. Francis of Assisi. St. Francis is said to have been praying before the San Damiano crucifix when he received the “commission from the Lord to rebuild the Church.”

El Salvador

Fr. Jim Gallagher, C.S.C., director of campus ministry

Each year, Campus Ministry offers a pilgrimage to a place that can help the participants come to a deeper appreciation of the larger reality of the Catholic Church. In 2019, we went to El Salvador in honor of the recent canonization of St. Óscar Romero. These crosses make me think about the ways that faith is woven into the fabric of the lives of so many in El Salvador. I chose these crosses because they are similar to many of the colors and crosses that one encounters among the Salvadoran community. These crosses were also offered in a location that carries crafts made by local artisans as a way to support their families and communities.

El Salvador

Fr. Jim Gallagher, C.S.C., director of campus ministry

Each year, Campus Ministry offers a pilgrimage to a place that can help the participants come to a deeper appreciation of the larger reality of the Catholic Church. In 2019, we went to El Salvador in honor of the recent canonization of St. Óscar Romero. These crosses make me think about the ways that faith is woven into the fabric of the lives of so many in El Salvador. I chose these crosses because they are similar to many of the colors and crosses that one encounters among the Salvadoran community. These crosses were also offered in a location that carries crafts made by local artisans as a way to support their families and communities.