Driving westbound along County Road 10 approaching County Road 55 heading toward Bellefontaine, a breathtaking sight of three large crosses comes into view along a hillside, a hopeful and majestic scene this Easter weekend, especially as many families are quarantined at home and unable to attend church because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The crosses representing Christ’s death, resurrection, redemption of sins and offering the gift of eternal life are the careful work of rural Bellefontaine resident Rocky Kelly, who resides at the property. With the assistance of his family, the design and construction of the four-phase project started about five weeks ago and is still ongoing.
“I know that God has wanted me to share his Word, but my short-term memory is so bad,” Kelly said Wednesday. “But this is a way that I can share God’s Word with many people. It was all a vision and a calling. And we very much have been making the push here recently to get them installed before Easter.
“I’ve already had people contacting me, many of them people that I don’t know, and stating that it has moved them to tears.”
While the crosses were lowered into the ground the Saturday before Palm Sunday, Kelly shared that this effort began with ideas that have taken shape over a number of years during his personal spiritual journey and conversations with God.
About 15 years ago, he credits his Heavenly Father with saving his life during complications that occurred during his open heart surgery. The Honda of America retiree relates that he “passed through the light, and experienced a figure resembling Jesus holding me and comforting me.”
Kelly said his eyes were opened at that time, but it was approximately five years ago when attending a funeral that he realized his need to accept Christ as his savior. He began attending church regularly after that time, he related.
Then on a motorcycle ride in the Western U.S., the city resident was encouraged by a number of people to check out the Chapel of the Holy Cross in Sedona, Ariz. At that location, Kelly related that God revealed the words to him, “Know My Word, Grow in My Word, Share My Word.”
He wasn’t sure what do with those words at the time, but during a drive about 10 weeks ago through Dallas, Texas, the idea struck him regarding installing the trio of crosses at his property.
“While traveling around the country to deliver vehicles for several local companies, I’ve seen the sets of three crosses everywhere. You can’t help but think of Jesus Christ when you see the crosses.
“Coming out of Dallas, I was asking, ‘Lord, what do you want of me?’ Tears just started rolling down my face uncontrollably when I realized He wanted me to pursue this project and how I could help share his Word.”
Not one to back down from large-scale outdoor projects, including the locally well-known Christmas display at his property that has taken place for a number of years and one that he wants to bring back this year, Kelly set to work once he got home to sketch out his vision and gather assistance from his loved ones.
He said his nephew Erick Lowe is a heavy construction equipment operator, and his son-in-law, Lucas Greiner works with Outdoor FX outdoor living remodeling and landscaping company in Plain City. These two individuals provided a wealth of expertise for the project, along with excavating help from his neighbor, Larry Pool, and on-the-grounds support from his son Justin Kelly, grandson Carson Greiner, sister Tina Kelly-Lowe and friend Cindy Gildow.
The four-phase process began with constructing the crosses out of 2’ x 12’ treated lumber, reinforced with treated lumber 2’ x 4’ braces.
While the total height of crosses was between 30 to 35 feet before they were lowered in the ground, the middle cross now stands at 24 feet tall and 12 feet wide and weighs 1,600 pounds. With its massive size, it was too large to be constructed in his shop like the other two crosses, and it was assembled on the ground, Kelly said.
The two other crosses stand at 20 feet tall by 10 feet wide and weigh 1,300 pounds each.
Each of the crosses is setting in about 4,000 pounds of concrete, as a permanent fixture at the project leader’s residence.
“They haven’t wavered at all, despite all of the strong storms and winds that we’ve had this week,” Kelly said. “Before I went to bed Tuesday evening, the night a hail storm passed through the area, I prayed, ‘I surrender the care of these crosses to you, Lord.’”
Prior to installing the crosses, phase two involved excavating the hill and grounds and preparing the holes for the crosses. The property owner related that his crew ran into some trouble with large rocks, and after conquering those large boulders, one of the large rocks now sits at the foot of the crosses.
Phase three incorporated installing backfill dirt and 45 tons of stone, while also erecting the crosses.
While making preparations to celebrate Easter Sunday this weekend, Kelly said the final phase of the project this spring will involve staging a paver wall with the words “Jesus is Our Savior” and below it, the words he received in Arizona, “Know My Word, Grow in My Word, Share My Word.” He plans to illuminate the words so that passersby can see them at night.
From his own personal spiritual journey that has resulted in the establishment of a public testimony of his faith, he also invites those who view the crosses to stop by to take a moment to pause and pray.
“Once I’m done with the project, I invite people to stop in. They can kneel at the foot of the cross to pray and talk to God.
“I want to encourage people to get to know Jesus Christ.”
Trio of crosses located at county roads 10 and 55:
• Constructed out of 2’ x 12’ treated lumber, reinforced with treated lumber 2’ x 4’ braces, total height of between 30 to 35 feet before they were lowered into the ground.
• Middle cross stands at 24 feet tall and 12 feet wide, weighs 1,600 pounds. .
• Two side crosses are 20 feet tall by 10 feet wide, weigh 1,300 pounds each.
• All three crosses set in 6 feet of concrete, about 4,000 pounds of concrete for each one.