Blessed Are They Who Mourn

On April 21st 1999, Greg Zanis, a carpenter from Naperville, Illinois, worked building crosses. He and his son drove through the night to set up the crosses on a hill overlooking Columbine High School as a memorial for those killed there on April 20. Zanis would make it his mission to memorialize the victims of mass shootings across the US. Whenever there was such a tragedy he would load up his pickup truck and drive to the site. It was his prayer. His act helped many to pray, seeing the crosses, the Stars of David, the crescents. To pray for an end to the senseless violence. And to work for its end too.

Before his death from cancer in 2020 Zanis delivered more than 26,000 crosses to the sites of mass shootings. And as he approached death, he arranged for an organization that would take on the work, Crosses for Losses. And that is where the crosses in front of the Old National Bank in Louisville came from, to help our community to pray. And to take up the work. Joining them is a lily taken from the Easter decorations of our two parishes. It promises our prayers.

Our offices will be closed and mass will be canceled Thursday afternoon 4/13, to allow staff to attend the archdiocese’ memorial mass at noon at the cathedral. You are invited to join us. Let us pray together for those who were lost, and those who mourn.