as well as the cross on the face of the main altar, were, appropriately for St. Columba's parish, adapted from a 9th century cross at Clonmacnoise, County Offaly.

The exodus of Irish Monks from Iona, as they escaped the Viking invasions of 806, not only brought the great manuscript of Kells; but also occasioned the Irish gravestones, which with the high crosses were a form of visual education and edification.  The reason for the crosses volume and weight was to protect them from the Viking raids and theft.  All of the crosses reflect the influence of Columban monasteries in their design.

The Crucified Christ did not appear on the cross until the 6th century and then in the east.  The overlapping whorls at the center of this cross are an abstraction of warring dragons, which is a frequent motif in early medieval Christian art.  The vicious forces are subdued and contained by the larger symbol of Christianity.  This combination of symbols, violence in the world and the structure of Christianity, formed the basis of western expressionism and the foundation of later Catholic art.

The Celtic Cross serves to remind us of the power of Christianity to bring harmony and peace to the conflicts and anxieties within all our lives.

This article was provided by Dr. Therese Whitcomb, Professor Emeritus Fine Arts, University of San Diego.  Adaptation of the cross was commissioned to Monte Haberman, Metal Artisan.  The cross is hand hammered from a single sheet of brass.