"The world's largest crucifix carved from a single tree, rising from the northern Michigan woods"
National Shrine of the Cross in the Woods, Indian River
Indian River, Michigan, United States
In the forests of northern Michigan stands a crucifix that demands contemplation: 55 feet of redwood supporting a 28-foot bronze figure of Christ weighing seven tons. Marshall Fredericks, one of America's most celebrated sculptors, spent four years creating this corpus, which was cast in Norway and shipped across the Atlantic. Since dedication in 1959, the Cross in the Woods has drawn millions of pilgrims to this quiet woodland setting, where the central mystery of Christian faith is rendered in monumental scale. Designated a national shrine in 2006, it welcomes over 300,000 visitors annually.
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Quick Facts
Location
Indian River, Michigan, United States
Coordinates
45.4156, -84.5892
Last Updated
Jan 14, 2026
Learn More
Cross in the Woods was established in 1946 when Bishop Francis Haas sought land for a church. The monumental crucifix, sculpted by Marshall Fredericks, was dedicated in 1959. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops designated the site a national shrine in 2006. The shrine draws 275,000 to 325,000 visitors annually.
Origin Story
The story begins with a pastoral need. Catholics in the Indian River area of northern Michigan had to travel long distances to attend Mass. In 1946, Bishop Francis Haas of Grand Rapids searched for land to establish a new parish church. He found a site in the woods near Indian River.
The vision expanded beyond a parish. Bishop Haas imagined a crucifix that would draw pilgrims from beyond the local area, a monument to Christ's sacrifice that would serve the entire region. He commissioned a cross carved from a single redwood tree and engaged Marshall Fredericks, already a sculptor of national reputation, to create the bronze corpus.
Fredericks worked on the figure for four years. The casting was done at Kristians-Kunst Metalstobori Foundry in Oslo, Norway, requiring transport of the massive bronze sections across the Atlantic. The cross was raised into place on August 9, 1959, and formally dedicated a week later.
What began as a solution to a pastoral problem became one of the most visited religious sites in the Midwest. Bishop Haas's vision created a destination that has drawn millions of pilgrims over more than six decades.
Key Figures
Bishop Francis J. Haas
Founder
Marshall Fredericks
Sculptor
Alden Dow
Architect
Spiritual Lineage
Cross in the Woods belongs to the Catholic tradition of pilgrimage sites centered on devotional images or relics. The monumental crucifix follows centuries of Christian practice in creating sacred art that invites contemplation and prayer. The national shrine designation places Cross in the Woods within a network of approximately 120 American sites recognized by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops for their spiritual significance. It is one of two national shrines in Michigan, the other being the National Shrine of the Little Flower in Royal Oak. Marshall Fredericks's sculptural legacy extends far beyond this site, but Cross in the Woods represents his most significant engagement with religious subject matter. The corpus of Christ stands as one of the major works of American religious art of the twentieth century.
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