The idea was quite simple: crafting wooden crosses. The outcome was overwhelming—over 38,000 crosses distributed over several years. The story of Jerry and Tom speaks to the simplicity and effectiveness of well-executed work.

Wood holds a special significance in Sacred Scriptures, being the material of salvation. The ark that saved Noah from the universal flood was made of wood, and the Cross that brought redemption to all mankind was crafted from wood. Wood was also the noble material that Joseph likely worked with daily, teaching Jesus as a teenager to “shape” with it. This article immerses us in the narrative of “Share His Cross Ministries” a ministry that has transformed pieces of wood into reminders of God’s presence in our lives.

It all began twelve years ago when Jerry and Tom decided to turn wood scraps into small crosses that people could carry in their pockets as reminders of Salvation and the presence of God. The idea was quite simple: create crosses small enough to fit in the palm of the hand but large enough to be noticed. Jerry Mueller, the father of our colleague Fr. Gary Mueller, C.M., and Tom Norrenberns, friends for many years, traveled together with their wives. During a visit to a gift shop in a sanctuary, they came across a small wooden cross. They thought they could create something similar and place them in the back of their parish church for people to take with them. The first batch quickly ran out, and soon they received requests for more. From this humble beginning, “Share His Cross Ministries” was born.

The process of making the crosses is laborious, as each one is crafted manually. They are distributed for free, but tax-deductible donations for the wood are accepted to sustain the ministry.

Although both Jerry Mueller and Tom Norrenberns have departed this life and gone to heaven, their children and grandchildren work to ensure the ministry continues. They continue to make crosses for those who request them. Most orders are individual, but not long ago, a large order came in: over 800 crosses! Another parish requested crosses to be given out on Ash Wednesday, with the idea of collecting them at the end of Lent to burn in the fire during the Easter Vigil.

Don Norrenberns, son of the co-founder, Tom Norrenberns, has this to say about his dad’s friend, Jerry Mueller: “We never really know exactly how many lives we touch in our lifetime, but in Jerry’s case, we do have at least one number. Jerry helped craft 36,885 pocket crosses—crosses that have touched people around the world… Share His Cross Ministries has provided a simple, tangible way to be reminded that we are never alone. A simple wooden cross to remind us that God is always with us!”

Simple was the idea of Tom and Jerry, just as simple was the work of Joseph in Nazareth. Wood, perhaps one of the straightforward materials, reminds us that salvation is not distant and complex but touches us and is present in our everyday lives.

Fr. Ray Van Dorpe, C.M.