The Crucifix
In a saint’s hands, a life given to Christ crucified: the missionary who preached him, the penitent who prayed before him.
“We preach Christ crucified” (1 Corinthians 1:23). A saint holding a crucifix has made the Passion the centre of their life.
Missionaries. St Francis Xavier preached with the crucifix raised in his hand. A story from his voyages in the Moluccas tells that he lost his crucifix overboard in a storm, and a crab brought it back to him on the shore. St Joseph Vaz carried the crucifix into Sri Lanka at a time when priests were banned there.
St Rita. Rita spent long hours in prayer before the crucifix, and in 1443 received on her forehead a wound from its crown of thorns, which she bore for the rest of her life. The wound can be seen on her forehead in the photograph above.
St Aloysius Gonzaga. He is shown gazing at the crucifix, as he did in prayer.
St Thérèse. She died holding her crucifix, looking at it and saying, “My God, I love you.”
Where you’ll see it
In their hands
All symbols →
The Orb
The whole world under Christ’s rule, often shown with a cross on top.
The Carpenter’s Square
St Joseph’s trade, and the holiness of honest work.
The Scales
The weighing of souls at the Last Judgement, a task given in art to St Michael.
The Rosary
Prayer to Mary while meditating on the life of Christ; Our Lady carried it at Lourdes and asked for it daily at Fatima.
The Book
The Gospel the saint preached, the rule they wrote, or the learning they gave to the Church.
The Easter Banner
Christ’s victory over death: a white banner with a red cross, carried by the Risen Christ and by the Lamb of God.
A statue with the crucifix?
Every statue is made from scratch in our studio in Mangalore.