Page 11 - Amarillo Senior Link Magazine Summer 2021 - Online Magazine

LOCAL HISTORY

Steve and Bobby’s beginnings to totaling $4,000; he wanted Steve flying around the Cross instead of
fulfill this project were frustrating as and Bobby to use it to serve Christ. over it; therefore, there are no bird
he searched for a location, funding, He told Steve that he had been droppings on the Cross.
and people to support his vision. spending money on prostitutes for
He was looking for a location that many years, even though he had a Steve said that, for 20 years, they
“he” wanted, so the cross could beautiful wife and children. He told were unable to find insurance
be seen in the larger cities of the Steve he would never stray again; for the Cross. Nothing has ever
Panhandle. His attempts to find he was giving it to Jesus. happened to damage it. One day a
a location in Pampa and Amarillo young boy was with his mother at
were fruitless. He told me that A bus full of young people from the Cross and said, “Do you see the
“good men should listen to their Tennessee were headed to Los angels, Mom?” Steve is certain that
wives sometimes.” It was Bobby Angeles to become strippers. They the Cross and the bronze pieces that
who suggested they look in Groom. stopped for a break at the Cross sit at the base have been protected
Steve’s dad was friends with the and stayed three hours. When by angels. God is taking care of
Brittens of Groom. Steve went to they left, they were headed back to this large project dedicated to Him.
see Chris Britten and explained Tennessee. In the area in front of the gift shop,
what he wanted to do. Chris told Someone told Steve this story about Steve was thinking of putting in a
Steve he had the perfect ten acres of a hunter who had a heart attack garden, when someone said, “This
land on I-40, and that was where the while hunting near Wellington. is a great place for a fountain.”
future cross would be built. It took the emergency crew some Today, the Divine Mercy Fountain

It took another year to build the time to get to him. When they did, sits in the middle of the gift shop,
huge cross. It was made from he had no pulse, and the medics theater, offices, and meeting room
two and a half million pounds of thought he was dead. But when area. It is a wonderful place to sit
steel and concrete; more than 100 they drove past the Cross, the man and pray and listen to the sounds
welders worked on the foundation opened his eyes and spoke. He of the water falling through the
frame for eight months. When the lives today to share his miracle
frame of the cross was loaded from with others.
two different locations in Pampa to The Cross has so much
Groom, the Thomas family knew, symbolism attached to it. It
“All things are possible for those was brought to the site in
who believe.” After the enormous three pieces, representing the
infrastructure was delivered, several Trinity. The 12 pins that hold
layers of rebar were welded onto the Cross together, represent
the frame. The rebar was then the 12 apostles. The pins are
attached to the foundation frame seven inches in diameter; seven
with thousands of welds and represents perfection. The Cross
connectors. After the frame was set is on I-40 – representing the 40
up, thousands of pounds of concrete days Christ fasted. The surface
were poured into the frame to make of the Cross is exactly 3,300 feet
it a solid piece. above sea level, which represents
Steve shared several stories about the age Christ was when He died
people who have stopped at the (33 years of age). The Cross sits
Cross. One man, a big burly guy, in Groom, as in Jesus Christ, the
was on his knees at the base of Bridegroom returning for His
the Cross weeping. Steve went to Bride, the Church.
ask him what was wrong, but the The 190-foot metal and concrete
man was crying so hard that Steve structure has never been struck
could not understand him. He just by lightning. Flocks of birds
started throwing $100 bills at Steve have been seen parting and

Amarillo Senior Link 11