New Crosses

The International Emmaus and Chrysalis Office is pleased to announce the introduction of a new Walk to Emmaus neck cross and a new Chrysalis neck cross.  Both crosses are made of Alder wood, a hardwood which grows in the Northern Hemisphere.  Alter wood is straight-grained, shock and decay resistant and stains well.  It is used in making guitars, artificial limbs and cabinets.  There is a ring at the top of the cross so a wide or thin lanyard can be added to complete the neck cross.

The current pewter neck cross was introduced in 1988, ten years after the start of the Emmaus movement.  The Chrysalis cross was added when that movement started in 1985.  The pewter neck crosses require molds, thirteen of them for all the languages, and those molds wear out and need to be replaced from time to time.  In addition to the molds, The Upper Room does not own the rights to the design or the rights to the molds.  Our current manufacturer is the only company that will or can produce these crosses and we do not have the rights for the sale of these items.  They are under no obligation to sell these neck crosses exclusively to us.

The new wooden crosses are our own design and can be laser-cut, leaving no reason to have and replace molds.  We originally looked at many designs, sizes and materials.  We eliminated some styles and once down to a “Final Four” for design and type of font, the Chrysalis, Emmaus and Clergy Regional Leaders chose the final design for our communities to use.

Emmaus crosses have been sold out, however, Chrysalis crosses are still available by using item number C210. Chrysalis crosses should be available until the end of 2009, or until our supply has been sold out. While over 90% of all Emmaus and Chrysalis communities use the neck cross that we provide, it is not a requirement.