ORLANDO  |  Pilgrims visiting St. James Cathedral for the Jubilee Year of Hope may have noticed the Jubilee Cross in the sanctuary.

The cross, in the form of a crucifix, was originally commissioned for use throughout the diocese for the various gatherings and liturgical celebrations of the First Synod of the Diocese of Orlando in 2004. When Pope Francis designated that each pilgrimage site was to have a Jubilee Cross, the synod cross was chosen.

The Synod, entitled “Starting Afresh from Christ,” began in October of 2004, and concluded with a Festival of Faith in October 2005, at the Orange County Convention Center. The cross traveled to each synod site in parishes across the diocese.

The cross and matching candleholders were designed and carved by Anthony Bellomo of the Black Forest Company in Mount Clemens, Michigan. Bellomo also carved the coats of arms of the bishops of Orlando, past and present, that now hang in St. James Cathedral.

The large bases of the cross and candleholders have an abstract design that could be interpreted as being either orange blossoms, a symbol taken from the diocesan arms, or tongues of flames, a symbol of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

The orange blossoms are repeated on the front of the cross over the head and extended from the hands of the Lord Jesus. The feet of Jesus are surrounded by “roots” of which the cross grows as the Tree of Life. In the center of the Cross is a circle that symbolizes the crown of thorns.  Prominent on the cross is the crucified body of the Lord Jesus through whom we are called to “start afresh.”

The reverse side of the cross reflects a moment in diocesan history when the Synod occurred. In the center, contained within a circle, is the diocesan coat of arms — divided shield of red and white.

The red portion in the center are Greek letters to represent Christ and to each side is a symbol of the diocese. The left side has a shell to represent St. James Cathedral. The right side shows an orange blossom to represent the county where the cathedral is located and the abundance of orange trees present at the time of the diocesan establishment in 1968.

The white field contains a “fleur de lis” to symbolize the Blessed Mother of God as the principal patroness of the diocese. The entire shield is crowned with a golden mitre, the episcopal headdress of the bishop.

The very bottom of the reverse side of the cross has the 2004 synod logo and motto.  Surrounding the diocesan arms are four additional coats of arms of the bishops who served the Orlando Diocese at that point.

At center top is that of Bishop Thomas Wenski, fourth bishop of Orlando (2004-2010), who is now the archbishop of Miami. At center bottom is that of Bishop Norbert M. Dorsey, third bishop of Orlando (1990-2004). At right is Bishop Thomas Grady, second bishop of Orlando (1974-1990). And at the left arm is that of Bishop William Borders, first bishop of Orlando (1968-1974), who later became archbishop of Baltimore.

Under each of the bishop’s arms is a motto. Archbishop Borders was, “I listen that I may serve.” Bishop Grady’s was, “In Christ.” Bishop Dorsey, a member of the congregation of the Passion of Jesus Christ, took his motto from the rule of St. Paul of the Cross, “Love is ingenious,” a reference to the breadth of the love of Christ. Archbishop Wenski’s motto was “All things to all men,” taken from 1 Cor 9:22.

At the time of the synod, Bishop John Noonan was not serving in Orlando, but rather as an auxiliary bishop of Miami. While Bishop John Noonan’s motto “God before me and God with me” and coat of arms are not a part of this historical cross, it should be considered with those who went before him, telling the story of the growing Catholic community in the Diocese of Orlando and the faith of the people who are both ancestors in faith and those with whom currently walk this journey together as Pilgrims of Hope.

Father Bob Webster contributed to this article.

Staff Report, March 28, 2025