History of the Union Church Cross...

The Union sanctuary cross is a reproduction of the 10th century cross of St. John, which stood at the west door of the Abbey of Iona in Scotland. Mr. Charles Stauffer, with the assistance of Mr. James Love designed and constructed the cross. Mr. Stauffer carved the molds and Mr. Love arranged for the casting of the molds in Wheeling, West Virginia.

The cross is made of bronze and wood, stands 8 feet by 4 feet and weighs approximately 200 pounds. Our sanctuary cross is the largest known cast bronze cross in America. The cross is ornamented with traditional Christian symbols, characteristic of historic Celtic crosses. At the end of the crossbeam are circles denoting the five wounds of our Lord— the nail prints on his hands and feet and the sword in His side. Ornamenting the cross are clusters of grapes, symbolizing the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper. The looped circle under the center of the cross symbolizes the eternal nature of God. The circle that can be seen around the center of the cross in our sanctuary represents the sun. The cross is placed on top of the circle to show that Christ reigns supreme over any other thing that people choose to worship instead of him.