'To bring us closer to Him.' Iconic cross again lights Route 9 skies in Framingham

FRAMINGHAM — An iconic Route 9 fixture has been restored to its past glory, thanks to the efforts of local benefactors and parishioners.

The cross of the Sons of Mary, located off Temple Street and visible to motorists driving westbound on Route 9, is lighting up the night sky once again after extensive repair work.

The cross, which is 60 feet tall, was first erected in the early 1960s, according to Brother Kevin Courtney, of the Sons of Mary, a Catholic missionary organization that helped organize the repair efforts. Eight years ago, Courtney said about half of the bulbs on the cross stopped turning on, which led to the decision to turn off the lights entirely.

"One arm of the cross was completely lights out, and since it looked ridiculous to have only half the cross lit, we decided to just turn the entire cross off," Courtney said.

What it took to repair the lighting on the Framingham cross

The goal remained to restore all of the lights on the cross, although finding a company that could fix the electrical work at an affordable price proved challenging. Eventually, the Sons of Mary found a Brockton company that could outfit the cross by replacing its old fluorescent bulbs with more efficient LED lighting.

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The restoration project cost $11,000 and was largely funded by members of St. Anne Church in Southborough.

"When it was gone for such a long time, I missed it because I used to see it," said one parishioner, Lyda, who declined to provide her last name. "Then all of a sudden we lost it, and we didn't think about it anymore. I loved the idea of restoring the cross because we don't have many crosses you see around, and they used to be everywhere years and years ago. The cross is there to bring us closer to Him, and people who are depressed, they see the light and it can touch them."

In addition to getting the lighting working again, Courtney said extensive landscaping needed to be done to cut back overgrown brush that was obscuring the cross from view. After receiving a quote that it would cost $9,000 for such work, Courtney said he and a team of volunteers did it themselves.

The cross is lit from roughly 8:15-11 p.m. each night. Courtney said lighting the cross does not require an extra permit, because it's been grandfathered into modern city light ordinances.

How the wooden cross ended up on Route 9 in Framingham

The wooden cross was donated to the Sons of Mary in the early 1960s by Francis Angino, owner and founder of the Massachusetts Electric Construction Company.

Courtney said the cross has been an important symbol for travelers in the area, and sends a valuable message to those who see it.

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"I've heard from people that come over the hill on Route 9 at night, and they see the cross and they stop a minute and are reminded where they are in life and what they are doing," Courtney said. "In a letter I sent to our benefactors, I said there is a Spanish saying, 'De La Cruz, a La Luz' which translates to 'From the Cross, Comes The Light' and that has always stuck with me, and why I wanted to get this restored."

"You see the cross and it's a reminder of love," said Nancy, another member of St. Anne Church who helped donate to restore the cross. "Jesus died for us out of love, and so it's very strengthening and protective and lovely to see the cross lit up again."

Who are the Sons of Mary Missionary Society in Framingham?

The Sons of Mary Missionary Society is a religious nonprofit that has been in Framingham since 1952 comprised of priests and brothers.

The group has done extensive missions throughout its history in Latin America and the Philippines, and still funds and maintains educational programs for orphans in Peru and the Philippines.

To learn more about the Sons of Mary Missionary Society and the work it does, call 508-879-6711.

This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: The 60-foot-tall cross on Route 9 in Framingham has been restored