SPARKS – The boom lifts arrived at dawn more than a month ago. By the time the sun had fully cleared the horizon east of the O’Dwyer Retreat Center along York Road, workers from Whiting-Turner were already 30 feet in the air – beginning a restoration project that traces its roots to one of the most memorable days in Baltimore Catholic history.
The story traces back to Oct. 8, 1995, when St. Pope John Paul II celebrated Mass before a capacity crowd at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. In center field stood the altar and stage, anchored by a 30-foot cross of steel and plexiglass. The Polish pope kissed the cross that day – making it a third-class relic now that he is a saint.
The cross has stood on the retreat center grounds since Cardinal William H. Keeler dedicated it there on Sept. 27, 1998. Today it sits amid a ropes course, surrounded by benches for prayer and reflection, on a campus that lies quietly just north of Hunt Valley in Baltimore County.
Over time, exposure to harsh seasonal weather took its toll. Rust, wear and cracking plexiglass left the structure in need of significant restoration.
“It’s a call to love,” said Sister Florencia Silva, the director of O’Dwyer who is known affectionately as “Sister Flo.” She described the cross as a living connection to the wider Church and to the late pope. “The beautification reminds of the reality of Christ and why we do what we do,” she said.
Over several weeks, Whiting-Turner crews – who donated both time and materials – carefully dismantled the plexiglass panels, exposed the steel frame, removed rust, welded new support brackets, applied fresh paint and reinstalled or replaced sections of plexiglass as needed.
The O’Dwyer Retreat House has served the Archdiocese of Baltimore since September 1963, when it opened as the CYO Retreat House. Founded by Monsignor Clare J. O’Dwyer with a mission to create a “spiritual powerhouse for young people” for Baltimore and neighboring dioceses, it has since grown into a year-round hub of Catholic formation – hosting parish, school and adult retreats, sacramental preparation programs, campus ministry events and Camp GLOW residential summer camp for people with special needs. Upcoming programs include an altar server and scouting retreat, as well as summer camps in the coming months.
Deacon Brian Olsen, vice chairman of the retreat center board and head of the facilities committee, is also founder of the Skorpa Design Studios architectural firm in Bel Air. He most recently led the restoration of the new St. Carlo Acutis Chapel at O’Dwyer, named for the first millennial saint.
Deacon Olsen called the cross “a hidden gem of the house.”
“It towers over the kids, saying ‘God is here,'” he said.
The restoration cost more than $10,000, according to John McCarty III, O’Dwyer’s operations manager.
Looking ahead, Sister Flo said long-term plans include making O’Dwyer more welcoming to visitors – expanding programs and renovating campus dormitories, though a timeline has not yet been set.
Email Kevin J. Parks at kparks@CatholicReview.org
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