Submitted
Hays is a Christian community. That fact is obvious by the 20 Christian churches in a city with a population slightly over 21,000. Recently, however, the Christian faith is being displayed more publically.
The Saint Mary’s Knights of Columbus council has put up 200 crosses in the yards of Christians throughout Hays, and they will remain up until April 7, the Saturday after Easter.
Stan Staab, the Grand Knight of this Catholic fraternal organization, got the idea from his brother-in-law whose Knights council in Russell worked a similar project. The Russell Knights council gave their cross project plans to Staab who took the idea to the Saint Mary’s Council. The idea was accepted, a committee of eight men were formed, and thus, the “Lift High the Cross” project began.
Five months later, on February 17, 2018, crosses were placed in yards of Christians who desired to publically display their Christian faith during this Lenten Season. Lent is a time of prayer, fasting and almsgiving, for Christians, mimicking Jesus’ 40 days in the desert before he began his public ministry.
“It fits into the pillars of what the Knights of Columbus is all about,” Staab said. “It started as a parish-oriented project that involved fraternity among brother Knights who took the crosses out into the community to evangelize.”
“This is what the Knights mission is all about,” Lester Robben, who co-chaired the “Lift High the Cross” project committee with Staab. “The mission of the Knights of Columbus is to evangelize, educate and spread the faith.”
Robben estimated that 30 Knights of Columbus members, ranging in age from 21 through 75 were involved in this project.
The Saturday before Lent the Saint Mary’s Knights had a work day where one group of men built the crosses, and another group of men cut metal posts, which were anonymously donated. The following Saturday, Father Donald Zimmerman, interim pastor at Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Hays, blessed the crosses and led the men in prayer before sending them off two by two with a post driver, addresses and a map telling them where to install the crosses.
People who wanted a cross in their yard paid a $20 fee. White flags were given to the purchaser to place where in their yard they wanted the cross located. The purchaser is allowed to string the cross with lights or cloth, but they are not allowed to paint them.
For Christians, the bare cross represents victory over death. “It’s a powerful statement,” Staab said. “It’s why our Lord became incarnate – to die for our sins.”
“All around the world, Christians are being persecuted, probably more so now than any time in history. We are fortunate in the United States that we can display our Christian faith by having a cross in our front yard.”
“We’re hoping the ‘Lift High the Cross’ project spreads,” Staab said. “We’re hoping to collaborate with other Knights councils in the area next year, and we’re hoping it spreads throughout Kansas and into other states.”
If anyone is wanting a cross in their yard, they can still obtain one by calling or texting Lester Robben at 785.625.9356.