World Trade Center Cross

Walnut Hills has become a church of crosses –

     The three leaning crosses at our front entrance remind us to lean on God  and on each other.

  The wooden cross usually on our altar table carved by the Rev. Bill Cotton given to us to celebrate our founding.

  And now our newest cross . . . 
cut from a beam that was originally part of one of the World Trade Center towers in New York City.

The cross is a gift from the New York City Fire Department to the Walnut Hills United Methodist Church.  Martha Schut, wife of our senior minister Doug Peters, is a long-time friend of Chris Ranck, a New York psychotherapist who has worked closely with members of the NYC Fire Department as they grieve the deaths of many of their colleagues and loved ones.  Firefigher Jonathan Ielpi was killed as he tried to rescue others following the attacks.  Jonathan’s father Lee, a retired firefighter, worked with Chris to arrange for us to have this cross in memory of Jonathan.  It was cut from the beam by Carl Scheetz, another firefighter. In 2006 Des Moines Artist Ted Lyddon Hatten incorporated the cross into a baptismal font. There are currently only two other World Trade Center Crosses of similar sizes anywhere in the world. One is housed at Engine 62 in Bronx, NY and a third was cut for display at the Vatican in Rome.

We view this cross as a symbol of hope in the midst of the greatest pain.  There is a remote possibility that microscopic bits of blood are carried on this cross – blood of the innocent ones co-mingled with the blood of the ones bent on evil.  Our world is like that too.  We are far too often a world of great division, loss and rage.  At Walnut Hills we want to be a community of hope.  Our hope, of course, is that God’s love will extend through us and allow us to be a voice of peace and compassion.

Pictures from September 16 & 17, 2006 
Touched by 9/11 Presentation and 
Dedication of WTC Cross Baptismal Font
View other Pictures of the Day

	Retired firefighter, Lee Ielpi, at the presentation on September 16 with the World Trade Center Cross in memory of his son firefighter Jonathan Ielpi..
	FDNY firefighter Carl Scheetz at the dedication of baptismal font on September 17.
	New York City psychotherapist, Chris Ranck at the dedication of baptismal font on September 17.
	Iowa United Methodist Conference Artist Ted Lyddon Hatten speaking about creating the baptismal font on September 16.

12321 Hickman Road Des Moines Iowa 50323
Phone: 515-270-9226 Fax: 515-270-0838 mandi@whumc.org