Listen to this article
Golden State Division
At San Francisco Turk Street Corps, A/Captains Patrick and Kitty Granat have planned several happenings for Easter week, culminating with participation in a Sunrise Service Easter morning at the foot of the world’s highest cross, atop Mt. Davidson.
An estimated 500 worshipers from churches throughout the city are expected to attend the ceremony, organized by the San Francisco Association of Evangelicals, of which Granat is president.
This year marks the 65th anniversary of the dedication of the 103 foot tall cross, located in the center of the City of San Francisco. It also marks the highlight of a controversy surrounding the cross’s future, which at the moment is uncertain. “An ‘anti-cross’ group wants the cross removed,” says Granat. “A lower court has ruled it must come down, but Mayor Willie Brown has said he won’t allow that to happen while he’s in office.” In the meantime, the Easter service will continue as planned.
By day, the cross can be seen from most parts of the city; at night, brilliantly illuminated by electric floodlights, it is visible from ships many miles off the coast. In 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt pressed a gold key in Washington, D.C., and over the Western Union Telegraph company’s wires sent a spark that ignited an electric current which illuminated the cross for the first time. A Salvation Army band participated in that service.
This Easter, other corps events include The “Last Supper,” which will be commemorated with a Love Feast Celebration, and the traditional Good Friday service will be on “His Finest Hour.” On Saturday there will be an Easter Egg Hunt at Sutro Park, sponsored by the Men’s Fellowship of the corps.