Exterior: The Chapel of the Holy Cross is one of the most recognizable and popular landmarks in Sedona, Ariz. The chapel is built into red rock buttes and is anchored by a 90 foot tall cross with a backdrop of a red sandstone cliff. This exterior view shows the front of the building as it faces toward the southwest. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Walkway: A long curved walkway leads visitors from street level up the hillside to the entrance doors to the chapel which face the red sandstone cliff and boulders. The facility also has drivers in golf carts which can assist visitors up the hill. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
By GARY WARREN
Photographer
Formerly of Los Alamos
When in Sedona, Ariz., the red rock cliffs and formations that adorn the hills and canyons are the star of the show. However, a man-made structure may be one of the most recognizable and most popular landmarks in town, the Chapel of the Holy Cross.
The chapel was inspired by local rancher and sculptor Marguerite Brunswig Staude. The design idea was formed in 1932 when Staude viewed the newly constructed Empire State Building in New York. Originally the chapel was to be built in Budapest, Hungary but that idea was ended by World War II. Years later Staude chose to build the chapel in her native Arizona.
The Chapel of the Holy Cross is built into red rock buttes with a 1,500-foot cliff serving as a backdrop to the chapel. The chapel was constructed in 1954-1956 and features a 90-foot steel cross surrounded by the coarse-aggregate concrete and glass structure. The cross serves as a structural support as well as being aesthetically pleasing and beautiful.
When arriving at the Chapel of the Holy Cross, a long curved walkway leads visitors from street level up the hill to the front doors of the chapel that face the red rock cliff and the massive red sandstone rocks on which the chapel is built.
The interior of the chapel is just as striking and beautiful as the exterior. The crucifix in the front of the chapel is the first thing one notices when entering the front doors. A view of the Sedona landscape beyond the chapel’s windows are extraordinary as well.
The Chapel of the Holy Cross was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2011. The facility was also voted to be one of the Seven Man-Made Wonders of Arizona. The American Institute of Architects presented the chapel with its Award of Honor in 1957.
The Chapel of the Holy Cross is a Roman Catholic chapel. However, anyone is welcome to visit the chapel any day of the week. Once completed, Marguerite Brunswig Staude’s words were, “Though Catholic in faith, as a work of art the Chapel has universal appeal. Its doors will ever be open to one and all, regardless of creed, that God may come to life in the souls of all men and be a living reality.”
To learn more about the Chapel of the Holy Cross and Mass schedule, visit chapeloftheholycross.com.
Editor’s note: Longtime Los Alamos photographer Gary Warren and his wife Marilyn are traveling around the country, and he shares his photographs, which appear in the “Posts from the Road” series published in the Sunday edition of the Los Alamos Daily Post.
Interior: The interior of the Chapel of the Holy Cross shows off the concrete structure but the crucifix at the front of the chapel is what visitors notice upon entering the chapel. Another view of the Sedona landscape is seen through the windows as well. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Exterior Side View: As visitors walk the walkway to the entrance to the chapel they can enjoy views of the exterior of the facility from several angles. This view is seen from the walkway illustrates how the chapel is built into the red rock landscape. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Rock Solid: The chapel as seen from the street level again shows how the chapel was constructed into the red rocks which Sedona is known for. The beauty of the red rock country was just enhanced by the addition of the Chapel of the Holy Cross. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Red Cliff: The beautiful red cliff and rock formations can be seen from the entryway to the Chapel of the Holy Cross in Sedona, Ariz. Beauty is everywhere in this Arizona community. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com