Surrounding the chapel are the Mystic Hills, filled with ancient forms, animal faces such as Eagle Rock, and sacred imagery. These energy-rich red-rock formations, which some say are a vortex, embrace the chapel in an arc from behind.
On the sides and in the front, Sedona sprawls out majestically, a sweeping landscape of red rocks, trees, and nestled houses. Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte are visible to the south, and Cathedral Rock to the west. From all angles, photogenic opportunities create unforgettable memories.
"That the church may come to life in the souls of men and be a living reality--herein lies the whole message of this chapel." -Marguerite Brunswig Staude
The Chapel of the Holy Cross was a gift from Marguerite Brunswig Staude, a sculptress, philanthropist, and devout Catholic, who believed the arts should be in service of spirit and indeed, considered the Chapel of the Holy Cross to be her greatest artistic achievement and the fulfillment of her life's mission. In 1932 Staude had an epiphany. While she gazed upon the newly completed Empire State Building, she saw a cross superimposed on the structure, and she thought, "What an idea for a church!" This idea, which affirmed her belief that churches should speak to the people of their time, would haunt and inspire Staude. "God can be worshipped as a contemporary--bringing him closer to earth and every one of us," she said.
Initially, Staude envisioned the chapel as a modern skyscraper cathedral that would encircle one city block. Her early sketches impressed Lloyd Wright, son of the famous American architect Frank Lloyd Wright, but were not approved by the archbishop of Los Angeles, her home at the time. A nunnery in Budapest became excited about the design and planned to place the church above the Danube River. World War II aborted those plans. Then both of Staude's parents died in the 1940s. It was her mother's last wish that she leave behind a living spiritual trust. This is when Staude decided to resurrect her idea for a chapel, but this time she envisioned it in Sedona, a place she had come to love. "Our monument would become a chapel dedicated to finding God through art," she said.
