06/18/08 Greenwich businessman Ned Lamont donated $25,000 to the new 50-foot-tall cross at the peak of Pine Hill

Waterbury Rep-Am: "Holy Land cross blessed in small ceremony"

With a sprinkling of holy water and a prayer Wednesday morning, Archbishop Henry J. Mansell blessed a new 50-foot-tall cross at the peak of Pine Hill, replacing a landmark that had overlooked the city center for 40 years.

In April, workmen took down the former cross, which had become unstable from years of weathering and repeated attacks by vandals. The Religious Teachers Filippini, an order of nuns that owns the property, paid $250,000 to have it replaced with a cross that is a little shorter, a bit thinner, but more durable.

The previous cross was one of Waterbury’s most beloved and prominent landmarks. Illuminated at night, it was a beacon seen from many homes and thousands of motorists passing daily on highways below. Pilots even used it for orientation.

“I’m so happy to see this cross here, reminding us as we go on our journeys we are also on the journey of life,” Mansell told a dozen people who gathered for the dedication.

Greenwich businessman Ned Lamont, who challenged U.S. Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman two years ago, donated $25,000 to the rebuilding effort. For Waterbury natives, the cross is a reminder they’re home, Lamont said. For him it’s a reminder he’s on his way home.

The Archdiocese of Hartford matched Lamont’s gift. Another $25,000 came in gifts from small donors. The nuns dipped deep into their reserves for the work and are still asking for help. During the ceremony, Sister Frances Stavalo challenged the business community to help close the gap.

“We want to keep John Greco’s dream alive,” she said.

Greco was a devout Waterbury lawyer who, along with dozens of volunteers, built a religious theme park called Holy Land USA on 17 acres atop Pine Hill in the 1950s and 1960s. The park featured religious statues, stations of the cross, a replica of the Roman catacombs and dollhouse replicas of the churches, shops and towers of Jerusalem. In its heyday, the park attracted thousands.

The new cross is actually the third giant cross to grace the site. The original was 32 feet tall and was erected in 1956. The cross was dedicated to world peace in a ceremony attended by 1,200 people in November of that year. It was the beginning of Holy Land.

That original cross was replaced in 1968, by a cross of steel girders and plastic that reached 56-feet into the sky. This one was dedicated to peace and also to the slain John and Robert Kennedy.

Wednesday’s ceremony was much more subdued than the original dedication. A small crowd gathered. The archbishop was accompanied by Mayor Michael J. Jarjura, Lamont, six nuns and representatives from OR&L Construction, which oversaw the project.

Today, much of what was Holy Land is in ruins. Broken pavement lines the road winding through the property. Yellow tape blocks access to displays, many of which have been smashed by vandals. While the site is officially off-limits, people still skirt no-trespassing signs to visit.

“We come up here to meditate and to reminisce,” said Tom Durso, 59, of Watertown. He attended Wednesday’s ceremony with his cousin, Tony Durso, 63, of Thomaston. Both grew up in the city and visit the hill occasionally to look down at their old schools and familiar places in the city center below. The cross also holds a special place in their hearts.

“For anybody raised in Waterbury, this is in your memory banks,” Tom Durso said. “The nuns from St. Mary’s used to march us up here every Easter to say rosaries.”

Tony Durso said the new cross will take some getting used to. It’s not quite as tall or as broad, or as bright.

“But a cross is a cross,” Durso said. “It’s a symbol.”

SOURCE: Mike Puffer, Republican-American
http://www.rep-am.com/news/349079.txt

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