Ever wonder about those crosses and small shrines you see along the highways, especially in Arizona and the state of Sonora, Mexico? One old person said it happened when she was a little girl, and a giant black snake (the new highway) came to Sonora and started eating people.
The custom of erecting a cross to mark the site of sudden death (without any preparation afforded by the Catholic Church) is as old as the European presence in Mexico. The first Bishop of Sonora convinced the Mexican authorities to outlaw the practice because it caused increased fear in travelers and profaned the sacred symbol of the cross. The ban has never been very effective, as any drive shows. These crosses are meant to elicit a response - a prayer to help the victim escape purgatory (stuck there due to not being afforded last rites from the church). Sometimes in place of a cross is a niche (see picture below), often containing a saint’s image and a photo of the deceased. Sometimes it is a small chapel. In a few cases, the Chapel may commemorate a miracle - this may be built in response to a manda (a vow).
The Bible also contains many instances of people building an altar along their journey when something significant happened (Joshua 22:26). Maybe we should consider marking significant events in our life with a memorial and going back occasionally and remembering it?
Next time you see one, say a prayer for the family affected and a family you know is going through a tough stretch and needs an altar.
Some material was stolen from the Book; "A Border Runs Through It" by Jim Griffith. Highly recommend this book if you want to better understand the border region.
This is a re-publication of a post on Facebook I submitted in January 2019.
Altar: an elevated place or structure, as a mound or platform at which religious rites are performed or on which sacrifices are offered to gods, ancestors, etc.
Niche: an ornamental recess in a wall or the like, usually semicircular in plan and arched, as for a statue or other decorative object.
Shrines: Any structure or place consecrated or devoted to some saint, holy person, or deity, as an altar, chapel, church, or temple.
I've seen these all over the west, never passed one without sensing both heartbreak and hope. I have a hard time imagining these folks, quietly slipping onto the scene of their sorrow, ever being involved in the daily carnage disgracing America today.
I've seen these all over the west, never passed one without sensing both heartbreak and hope. I have a hard time imagining these folks, quietly slipping onto the scene of their sorrow, ever being involved in the daily carnage disgracing America today.