St. Jude Thaddeus Parish’s new crucifix blessed at Easter

This project was certainly a labor of love for our parish and both our donors and our parishioners were able to be hands-on and deeply involved every step of the way.”

Heather Murphy, a member of St. Jude Thaddeus Parish, Mokane

The newest and likely most memorable addition to St. Jude Thaddeus Church in Mokane has ties to artwork that’s been there for over a century.

Father Alexander Gabriel blessed the large new, hand-carved crucifix in the church’s sanctuary on Easter Sunday.

“This project was certainly a labor of love for our parish and both our donors and our parishioners were able to be hands-on and deeply involved every step of the way,” St. Jude Thaddeus parishioner Heather Murphy stated.

Donated by parishioners following the extensive renovation of the church in 2023, the custom-designed crucifix was created in Italy by employees of the same Chicago company that made the statues of St. Jude Thaddeus and the Blessed Virgin in 1910.

The Church’s rules for furnishings in church buildings strongly recommend placing a crucifix prominently above the altar to remind the people that the sacrifice being made present at the altar and being offered back to the Father is the same sacrifice Christ offered through his passion and death.

There had been discussion about acquiring a new crucifix at the time of the church’s renovation, since there is now so much more space on the sanctuary wall.

“However, due to the cost and the lead time required for the order, this was put on the back burner and became one of those ‘maybe someday’ kind of projects,” said Mrs. Murphy.

Following the rededication of the church in October 2023, several parishioners offered to donate the money for a larger crucifix.

With the pastor’s blessing, the donors began working with a small group of parishioners to find reference images, make decisions about how large the new crucifix should be, and solicit bids for the final cost.

The parish got in touch with Daprato Rigali Studios in Chicago.

The church renovation committee had worked with Daprato Rigali in 2022 to determine the age and condition of the statues the company had made for the church in 1910.

“They were just as thrilled as we were to connect and discuss their extraordinary craftsmanship and our careful preservation of these beautiful statues,” said Mrs. Murphy.

With input from the donors and guidance from Daprato Rigali, the parish placed an official order in April 2024 for a custom-designed and -created crucifix.

The cross, along with the corpus and the INRI inscription, were handcrafted in Italy by Daprato Rigali craftsmen.

The cross is a simple boxed wood cross stained to match all of the new furnishings in the church.

The corpus and inscription are hand-carved from linden wood and are painted to match.

The piece in its entirety was crafted entirely by hand from a design created by the donors and parishioners in conjunction with the artists at Daprato Rigali Studios.

“This piece is truly one of a kind and there is not another like it in the world,” Mrs. Murphy stated.

The crucifix was shipped from Italy and received at St. Jude Thaddeus in February 2025.

A St. Jude Thaddeus parishioner and his employer, Weaver Steel Construction in St. Peters, installed the crucifix.

The daylong installation work took place on April 14, the Monday of Holy Week — in time to surprise Easter Sunday communicants.

“It’s safe to say that our donors are very, very pleased and the reactions from parishioners and visitors alike did not disappoint,” Mrs. Murphy observed.

Father Alexander Gabriel, pastor of the Mokane parish and of St. Peter Parish in Fulton, blessed the crucifix during the Easter Sunday Mass.

“We are deeply grateful for their kindness and their support in helping us put the finishing, and most important, touch on our newly renovated church,” said Mrs. Murphy.

Thanks also went out to Daprato Rigali Studios Inc. for their partnership and their guidance over the parish’s 115-year existence.