STEUBENVILLE - A group of parishioners from the Holy Family Catholic Church have organized a yard freedom cross campaign they hope will spread across the city and country.

Don Jordan said the idea for freedom crosses was prompted by the Freedom From Religion Foundation threat to sue the city over an unofficial logo that includes a cross and the silhouette of the Christ the King chapel on the Franciscan University of Steubenville campus.

"We had a number of concerns regarding the foundation that threatened to sue the city. We felt it was an attack on our religious freedom. Our bishops have urged Catholics to pray, fast and take action in response to the attack on our religious freedom. This is our way of taking action," explained Jordan.

FREEDOM Robert Lantz of Steubenville outlined the word freedom on a freedom cross that volunteers are constructing out of 2-by-4-inch boards. Several parishioners from Holy Family Catholic Church have created 200 freedom crosses to protest a legal challenge to Steubenvilles unofficial logo that includes a cross and silhouette of the Franciscan University of Steubenville Christ the King chapel. The Freedom Crosses also are on sale at Nelsons Fine Art and Gifts store on Lincoln Avenue. - Dave Gossett

"The Holy Family Evangelization program and our other parish ministries banded together to develop the 'freedom cross' for Holy Family parishioners to place in their yards as a witness to our faith and our right to religious freedom," stated Jordan.

"The idea came from the photos from the Sept. 11 attack on the Twin Towers. I will always remember the photo of the damaged girders that had been twisted into a cross. The New York firefighters hung an American flag on the girders. That photo will always remain with me and it inspired our freedom cross design," said John Miller, a volunteer.

The idea caught fire among several parishioners who have helped create the wooden crosses with the word, "freedom" stenciled across the front and a small American flag placed at the top of the cross.

"We are cutting, assembling and painting approximately 200 crosses for our Holy Family parishioners. And we talked to Mark Nelson of the Nelson Fine Art and Gifts business and he has agreed to create a very similar design for sale to the general public," said Jordan.

"We started our first production run Friday, and the freedom crosses are available at our store on Lincoln Avenue for $10 each or on our freedomtothemax.com website. This is about promoting freedom of religion in our country. We have already had requests from several area citizens who want to express their support for our religious freedom," said Nelson.

Jordan said several officials from Franciscan University of Steubenville spoke to parishioners after a recent Sunday Mass.

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Freedom cross campaign growing in Steubenville