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Story by Henri Migala
Photos by Henri Migala and Vince Kattoula
December 18, 2023 (Jamul) -- The largest cross in San Diego County was raised atop Rancho San Diego Hill, on 80 acres of private land, in Jamul on Friday, December 15.
The 36’ tall Chaldean cross, made possible by Samad (“Sam”) and Evone Attisha and their family, will serve as a symbolic memorial for persecuted Christians throughout Iraq and all of the Middle East.
"Over the last several decades, Christians in Iraq and throughout the Middle East have been persecuted simply because of their faith," said Samad Attisha, who established the project. "The Chaldean Cross serves as a symbolic memorial for those martyrs who were murdered because of their love for our Lord Jesus Christ. My family and I are blessed with the opportunity to have made this possible on behalf of the entire Chaldean Community."
"At over 35 feet tall and almost 20,000 pounds, the cross' magnitude is unmatched throughout the region," said Vince Kattoula, with Kattoula and Associates, and the project's manager. "Overcoming bureaucratic hurdles, ensuring structural integrity, fabricating the entire cross out of one piece of carbon steel and constructing the foundation of the Chaldean Cross was not an easy feat, but our team is blessed with several highly skilled individuals, all of whom played a crucial role in ensuring this project's success."
Kattoula explains that the cross is a Chaldean design that dates back to 600 A.D.
Due to the steep and rugged terrain, a special Chinook helicopter was needed to lift the 20,000 lb. cross to the installation site at the top of the hill. While the helicopter was delivering the cross at the top of the hill on Thursday, several attempts were made to install the cross, but due to the high winds, the cross was swinging too much to safely install it on the base.
Since it was getting late and the sun was setting, the helicopter pilot announced that it was getting too dark to continue to fly, and laid the cross down near the installation site.
A 30-ton crane was used to lift the cross so it could be secured to its final location atop Rancho San Diego Hill, 900 feet above sea level on Friday.
A Brief Explanation of the Chaldean Holy Cross Monument (from the event’s program brochure)
The Chaldean Holy Cross has a 28-inch central silver circle at the intersection of the cross, representing the crucified Christ.
Around the central circle there are four 18-inch midnight blue circles representing the four Evangelists: Mathew, Mark, Luke and John.
Further away on the peripherals of the Cross are nine 18-inch ruby red circles, organized in three triad of circles on the top, right and left sides of the Holy Cross. These nine circles exemplify two theological notions. First, they represent the nine choirs of Celestial beings (the Angels), according to the Old and New Testament writings, who perpetually worship the Lord God in His Kingdom of Heaven and serve His Divine plan for humanity. Second, these nine circles also represent the nine ranks of Holy Orders in the Chaldean Church, signifying the Catholic teaching that the Church of our Lord Jesus Christ on earth is modeled after the heavenly Church already serving the Lord God in His Heavenly Kingdom.
About the Attisha Family (from The Chaldean Cross website)
In June 1976, Mary & Yelda Attisha, the Chaldean parents of six boys and one girl landed as immigrants in San Diego, California. Just like hundreds of other Chaldean families before them, they left Iraq due to political, cultural, and economic reasons i
n order to settle in America. Similar to most immigrants, the Attisha family had to start from almost nothing. With strong faith in God and a determination to build a successful life, the Attisha siblings mustered enough planning and efforts to open several grocery stores and gas stations in San Diego in the early 1980s in order to start their own Chaldean families and live the American Dream.
The third oldest sibling in the Attisha family is Samad. Throughout the early phases of his life in America, Samad became a committed Catholic, who tried every day to strengthen his relationship with his Lord Jesus Christ and live in charity with his neighbor. Samad’s faith experience made him embrace three things in life: his Lord Jesus Christ, his country America, and his family. Samad got married to his beautiful bride, Evone Attisha, in November 1984. And his faith journey allowed him to become a loving husband, good father, and a philanthropist in his Chaldean community in San Diego.
Photo, left: Sam Attisha established the cross with his wife,Evone.
Photo, right: Sam Attisha and project manager Vince Kattoula with Kattoula and Associates.
Video of Chinook helicopter delivering the Chaldean Holy Cross:
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