Welcome To The Community Prayer Center
Home Of The Three Crosses

For the past fifteen years, there has been a landmark on the four-lane highway in Triumph, which has generally been referred to by many as simply “The Three Crosses.” Not until the last two years, however, did the location become a place of beauty. During this time I have heard many questions arise regarding this site. “What does it all represent?” “Who is responsible for it?” “Why do they have three crosses?” “Can anyone visit it?” These and other questions will be answered by the following account. Here is the continuing story of “The Three Crosses.”

In 1981, Boothville-Venice Assembly of God church, located across from the water tower in Boothville, experienced tremendous growth. As the church quickly outgrew the building it was in, the pastor at that time, Rev. Anthony Marquize, and the congregation began looking for a new location in the Buras area for a new ministry center. The church soon found and purchased the land now known as the site of “The Three Crosses.”

By 1983, with permits and building plans in hand, the church began construction of the main building with the placement of pilings and land fill. As the foundation was being prepared, another feature, which was to become the land’s namesake, was constructed. The church, now renamed Miracle Assembly of God, had decided to use the Biblical representation of Golgotha’s three crosses as a sort of “logo” for the church. According to the Bible, Jesus was hung on a cross between two thieves who also were hung on crosses. Thus, three crosses. So the cross which was to represent the cross of Christ was made thirty feet high, set on a mound and the two crosses which represent the thieves crosses were made a little smaller and placed around the cross of Jesus, also on mounds. At this stage all three crosses consisted of steel framing. The intention at that time was to make them look like wooden crosses and to light them at night. However, that didn’t happen and this is where the story took a long detour. Just as the church was prepared to pour the concrete foundation for the building, FEMA imposed a ban on all new construction in lower Plaquemines unless it was elevated to a height of fourteen feet. So much for the new church!! Well, for fifteen years, those steel crosses, still just a framework, sat as a testimony of a project that almost was. Over the years, the land was allowed to grow up in weeds, the crosses began to rust, and the whole site be came unattractive.

During this time, remarks were made from time to time to different members of the congregation that in effect said, “It sure is a shame that whoever built those crosses doesn’t take better care of them.”

Well, one day as I was walking around the area, praying as I walked, I asked the Lord to help our church to fix up the site, to take away the reproach. Boy, did God answer fast.

Within a month, a man in our church that works for John Sumich, owner of Delta Food Mart in Buras, told me that John would be willing to have the crosses sandblasted and painted if we would allow him to do it. Thus began the resumption of what God had started fifteen years earlier. As I shared with John what we had intended to do with the site in the beginning, he got excited and said, “Let me help.” He began to come to me constantly with the question, “Can I plant this? “Or “Can I put this here?” Finally, we recognized that God wanted John to be the project director.

Soon after the crosses were completed, John came to me and reminded me that the real message of the crosses would not be complete without the inclusion of an empty tomb to depict the resurrection of Jesus. Very shortly, a tomb appeared on the property next to the three crosses, furnished as closely as possible to resemble the tomb that held Jesus. That is where we are at with the project at this time.

Some have asked, “Just what is the purpose of such a large expenditure of time and money?” Quite simply, our aim is to create a dramatic affect that will cause a growing ‘awareness of God for everyone who views the site. Our prayer is that everyone who sees or visits the site will receive a greater revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ than they have presently.

More work is planned for the future. A model of the Sea of Galilee and a replica of the Garden of Gethsemane are in the planning stages.

This site is open to the public 24 hours a day. Come visit, meditate, or pray. Our prayer is that this will become a focal point for prayer for our whole community. Our aim is not to build Miracle Assembly but to build the Body of Christ throughout Plaquemines Parish.