Tour of St. Peter's

Directly behind the sanctuary is the Crucifix. A Crucifix, an image of Jesus nailed to the cross, is found near the altar in most Catholic churches. It is our belief that the Eucharist celebrated upon the altar is “the memorial of the Lord’s Passion [Jesus’ sufferings leading up to his death] and Resurrection….It makes present the one sacrifice of Christ the Savior and includes the Church’s offering.” (CCC #1330)

The image of Christ Crucified is for Christians the ultimate image of love. Too often in times past, the historical death of Jesus was blamed upon the Jewish people and became a source of hatred directed against them. The Church in Vatican Council II rejected such blame, destroying forever for Catholics any religious basis to anti-Semitism. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC #598) offers correct Catholic teaching: “Sinners were the authors and the ministers of all the sufferings that the divine Redeemer endured.” The “sinners” referred to include all of us in every age of history.

Italian artist Giorgio Atzori sculpted the Crucifix. It was cast in bonded bronze by Joseph Zaky, of Ecclesiastical Arts, Newark.. (Zaky also executed the other metalwork in the church, to designs of Anthony Genovese.) The Crucifix departs somewhat from tradition by portraying Jesus before rather than after his death. It seeks to establish a contact between the observer and the Man On The Cross so that in prayer Jesus might speak to the Christian at the foot of the cross as he spoke to Mary and John (John 19:25-27).

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