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Our Triune God is represented in the Holy Cross mosaic with rounded arms and circles that relay a global sense of harmony.

God the Father’s creative hand brings life and light to a troubled world. A celestial representation of God’s creation is displayed in the first arm of the cross.

At the center of the cross is God the Son, depicted as the resurrected Christ Jesus, the center of our faith. Above him shines the Nativity Star that signifies his birth as does the crèche below. Revelation’s holy city encompasses the top panel, hinting of the hope of everlasting salvation that Christ provides. A butterfly, symbolizing the resurrection, hovers close to the figure and behind Christ, in the center panel, are four trees representing the seasons of spring, summer, autumn and winter — symbols of the cycle of life.

God the Holy Spirit, the third member of the Trinity, is revealed as a descending dove and an olive branch in the mouth of the dove represents the hope of global peace. Alpha and Omega, signs of Christ as the beginning and the end, are tucked under the wings. Sunflowers, below, are amazing blossoms that awaken with the sun and follow its path throughout the day. They remind us of the constant, daily love of God.

In the lower panel, behind the manger, shines a rainbow.
It, along with the stone tablets containing God’s laws
and Calvary’s empty cross, symbolize God’s covenants with his people.

Our sacraments are also represented at the base of the cross with the flowing waters of baptism beneath the host and chalice of Holy Communion. Found within the Eucharist is the Messianic rose. Our global unity is suggested by the human figures dancing within the quadrants of the globe in the lower panel. These figures hold hearts, which represent the love shared among all of God’s people.

The 15-foot by 15-foot cross, designed by nationally acclaimed liturgical artist David J. Hetland and Studio Works, LLC of Fargo, North Dakota, depicts images from the Old and New Testaments. The mosaic consists of thousands of "smalti" Italian glass mosaic tiles with each square foot containing about 200 different colored tiles. Hetland, a unique and talented artist, passed away in 2006.

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