Restorative Images 

Interesting things are happening in France. Adult baptisms are up 30%. There is unprecedented interest in the annual pilgrimage from Paris to Chartres. The reconstruction of Notre Dame Cathedral will be finished in time for Christmas. All this surprisingly good news was reported by The Pillar in the context of an interview of 27-year-old Frenchman Alexandre Caillé. Caillé is the founder of an organization called SOS Calvaires which has over 4,000 volunteers, mostly young people, who have taken responsibility for restoring roadside crosses throughout the country. For centuries, French Catholics erected crosses as an act of thanksgiving or to request divine protection. Most of the ancient crosses were destroyed during the French Revolution, but the tradition was taken up again in the 19^th century. Caillé says that the project offers young people an adventure. “First of all, you have to get up from your sofa, go out into the cold and rain to rub stones, pull out brambles, and bring a part of your history back to life…. This work can be difficult and physically demanding.” But it’s more than just a service project. “For some, it can be a truly spiritual experience, a discovery or rediscovery of the history of the Cross and the Christian religion associated with this powerful symbol. For others, it’s a prayer. An act of charity, a gift of self for the common good, but above all for God.”  

Caillé says that young people are interested in these crosses because “[they] are looking for a sense of meaning, a sense of being rooted and anchored.” Those with a lack of imagination might mistake their motivation as merely political, but it’s much more significant than that. By restoring their forebears’ shrines, these young people are making an important claim about reality – that the sacred is not limited to heaven or the interior of church buildings. Roadside crosses remind us that God is close, that He is everywhere.  Moreover, He knows us and loves us. He desires our salvation. 

In our neck of the woods, you don’t find many roadside crosses. Most of the images you see are billboard advertisements and lawn signs promoting election candidates. But sometimes we spot a statue of Mary in someone’s yard, or we hear church bells ringing in the neighborhood, and for a moment the dense fog of worldly preoccupation lifts, allowing us to consider the eternal significance of everything. Holy images inside our homes are important too. We should have a crucifix, an image of Our Lady, and a saint to whom we feel connected displayed in prominent places – over our beds, by the kitchen sink, by our computer. Importantly, they should be beautiful, restorative to our souls. With the arrival of First Communion/Confirmation season, this would be a fitting time to re-sacralize our surroundings by giving a holy image to a young person you love. You can find some beautiful ones for sale by stores featured on the website Etsy such as this one, and this one, and this one, as well as many others.  

posted 4/27/24