It’s not
often a church is a city’s major tourist attraction. A few that come to mind
are St. Peter’s in Rome, Westminster Abbey in London and the Church of the Holy
Sepulchre in Jerusalem. You probably
wouldn’t put a tiny church in Sedona, Arizona, on the list.
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Side view of the Chapel of the Holy Cross
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Yet the
Chapel of the Holy Cross is the most visited and photographed place in Sedona,
an upscale community in north central Arizona. Sedona is very scenic,
surrounded by gorgeous red rock where off-road vehicle tours of the area are
popular.
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| The view from the altar |
It is this
very setting, however, that makes the chapel so spectacular. It is built on red rocks with more red rocks
and brilliant blue skies as a backdrop.
The chapel
is stunningly simple; there is elegance in its demeanor. It is a place that
brings peace to the soul. This is just what its founder, Marguerite
Brunswig Staude, intended.
A student of the visionary architect Frank Lloyd Wright,
she designed the chapel to be inspirational in memory of her mother. She paid for the chapel herself. It is now
administered by the Catholic church, but is considered to be
non-denominational, inviting all faiths to pray here.
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A small shrine along the walkway
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The design was ahead of its time, featuring a large cross
that spans the width and of the small
chapel andlenghtwise extends down to the red rock below.. Plain glass windows
behind the cross allow worshippers to look to the heavens for inspiration. The
chapel’s interior has no Stations of the Cross found in Catholic churches, but
rather four colored panels – two on each wall. Simple benches provide seating.
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| Parking and walkway to the chapel |
The Chapel of the Holy Cross is located at 780 Chapel
Road; take the Chapel Road exit off Highway 179 to the end. It is open from 9
a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. A few handicapped parking spaces are available at the
entrance ramp, but otherwise you’ll have to park alongside the road and walk up
the hill. The walkway to the chapel is
another uphill climb, but it’s paved and is wheelchair accessible.
