A massive white cross that has towered over City Avenue in Philadelphia for over four decades is being relocated to a new home in Malvern. According to CBS NEWS, the 45-year-old landmark was originally constructed for Pope John Paul II’s historic 1979 visit. In this article we talk about Cross Built for Pope John Paul II’s Philadelphia Visit Heads to Malvern.
Cross Erected for Papal Mass Attended by 1 Million
The massive cross was built in 1979 to overlook the Benjamin Franklin Parkway at Logan Square, where a million faithful gathered to attend an outdoor mass celebrated by Pope John Paul II during his visit to Philadelphia that year.
After serving as the iconic backdrop to the papal event, the cross was relocated to St. Charles Borromeo Seminary on the corner of City and Lancaster Avenues, where it has stood as a neighborhood landmark ever since.
Moving to Malvern After Seminary Property Sale
However, with the Archdiocese’s 2019 sale of the seminary property to Main Line Health, the seminary relocated to Gwynedd Mercy University’s campus last year. This paved the way for the historic papal cross to find a new permanent home.
On Thursday, workers will carefully use a crane to lift the massive cross from its pedestal and load it onto a truck to be transported to the Malvern Retreat House in Chester County.
“This landmark is going to continue to live,” stated Michael Norton, president of the Malvern Retreat House. “This cross will continue to live in the Philadelphia Archdiocese.”
Refurbishing and Restoring the Cross
Norton said plans are in the works to refurbish and restore the aging cross before re-erecting it on the Malvern Retreat House grounds by this fall.
The relocation of the beloved local landmark is bittersweet for many residents who grew up with the cross as a familiar sight along City Avenue.
“It was always a landmark that you look forward to at that age,” remarked Albert Baylor, who works at the Malvern Retreat House. “Going up to my grandmother’s, I get to see the cross. Going up City Avenue, I get to see the cross.”
While neighbors will have to adjust to the cross’s absence from its longtime City Avenue perch, its permanent installation in Malvern will allow the historic papal relic to continue inspiring the faithful for generations to come.
“You’re going to look for it and be like, ‘Wow, it’s not there anymore,'” Baylor said. “But it’s good that it’s going to continue living on.” I sincerely hope you find this “Cross Built for Pope John Paul II’s Philadelphia Visit Heads to Malvern-Find Out Details” article.
Skylar Lacey, a Travel and Tourism Management graduate from Temple University, offers 5 years of experience in travel writing and airport logistics at PhiladelphiaAirport.net. Her expertise helps travelers make the most of their journeys through Philadelphia International Airport. Connect with her on Instagram for more travel tips and insights.
