Sedona, Arizona, United States
That the church may come to life in the souls of men and be a living reality—herein lies the whole message of this chapel.
—Marguerite Brunswig Staude (1899–1988), artist who designed and bequeathed the Chapel of the Holy Cross
Looking like a modern cross rising out of an ancient mesa, the Chapel of the Holy Cross is stunning in its simple but brilliant design by Marguerite Brunswig Staude, a student of master architect/designer Frank Lloyd Wright. A massive wall of glass—superimposed with a pale rose-colored cross stretching the full width of the chapel and thrusting 200 feet upward from the stone foundation to the roof—affords spectacular views of God’s creation for miles around.
The chapel, built in 1956, sits on Coconino National Forest land near the New Age mecca of Sedona, where many believe four energy vortexes exist, including one at the site of the Chapel of the Holy Cross. Visit this unique Roman Catholic chapel, which welcomes people of all faiths to infuse their souls with God’s pure love.
Let your prayer of love flow from your heart and across the breathtaking Verde Valley with its towering red rock formations jutting into the azure sky.
Staude chose the chapel’s site in part because of a red rock formation visible to the east that looks like the Madonna and Child surrounded by rocks that are praying nuns to some visitors and suggestive of the three wise men to others.