LAWRENCE -- A 40-foot-tall historic Merrimack Valley Catholic cross has found its permanent, forever home on the campus of Mary Immaculate Health/Care Services in Lawrence, Massachusetts. To recognize the spiritual significance the iconic cross has had on regional healthcare over the years, Regional Bishop Robert F. Hennessey, vicar general, Merrimack Region, Archdiocese of Boston, bestowed a blessing that will ensure the cross will continue to be a beacon of hope and healing in the years to come.

"Let us venerate the cross in God's plan," said Bishop Hennessey, "remember Jesus' sacrifice for the Church and grasp the mystery of the cross. May we spirit our cross on our journey through Christ our Lord. May our sins be nailed to His cross and may the cross be our comfort on the journey."

"For decades, this cross, originally erected on the roof of the Bon Secours Hospital in Methuen, Massachusetts, which subsequently became Holy Family Hospital, served as a beacon of light emanating a sense of peace, hope, love, and caring for all who witnessed it glowing brightly in the night sky," said Joseph Bourque, president of the Guild at Mary Immaculate. "Today as we celebrate the relocation and blessing of this cross, I would like to offer that this is more than a relocation -- it's a symbol of the resilience of the people of the greater Merrimack Valley community. We, at Mary Immaculate, are so proud and grateful to restore and bring this spiritual entity to our Catholic ministry to share with all in our community."



About the Guild of Mary Immaculate

The purpose of the Guild, in keeping with philanthropic Catholic tradition, is to provide annual funding for needed improvements or renovations at Mary Immaculate. Erecting the historic cross on sacred ground at the site of the former Immaculate Conception Church on the Mary Immaculate campus was made possible through a major gift from John and Ann-Marie Giarrusso and family to cover the installation and continued electrification of the cross.



About Mary Immaculate Health/Care Services

Mary Immaculate Health/Care Services is one of Massachusetts' most comprehensive senior care ministries and enjoys a long-standing reputation of offering a continuum of high-quality health care, housing, and spiritual services for older adults. Mary Immaculate is a proud member of Covenant Health.

For more information, contact Karen Sullivan at 978-312-4300 or karen_sullivan@covenanthealth.net.