Holy Cross!

Sam Attisha and Vince Kattoula in front of the cross.

New 35-foot monument in San Diego

By Cal Abbo

Atop Rancho San Diego Hill sits the California Chaldean community’s most recent achievement: A 35-foot tall, 20,000-pound Chaldean-style cross pierces the landscape for thousands to see.

Last year, on December 14, 2023, the largest cross in San Diego was airdropped into place by a Chinook heavy-lift helicopter. After nearly four years of hard work, negotiations with the county, and fielding questions and opposition from the public, the cross stands tall as a testament to and memorial for the hardships and persecution that Chaldeans and all Christians have faced.

Vince Kattoula is a San-Diego based land use consultant and registered lobbyist who specializes in large projects like this that require extensive permitting and government approval. In 2019, Samad Attisha approached him, who had purchased land on this hill in order to place a cross on it.

“This property is about 80 acres, with very rugged terrain, completely surrounded with sensitive and endangered species,” Kattoula said, explaining how difficult it was to get approval to build anything on the land. “In fact, it’s adjacent to the national wildlife refuge.”

Mountain lions, rattlesnakes, golden eagles, and other dangerous animals frequent the property. Poor terrain meant the cross could not be moved over the ground. These issues, nor any others, would not stop Kattoula and Attisha from reaching their goal and establishing the site of the cross on this large hill.

The hill’s location is significant too. It stands on the highest peak in the Rancho San Diego area across from a large Chaldean neighborhood where many admirers can see the cross at all times of the day and night. It means a lot, then, that the cross is designed in a distinct Chaldean style. Its features hearken back to that of the ancient churches, with three red circles on each point, imitating what Chaldeans are used to seeing in their own communities.

Attisha conceived the idea from the beginning when he purchased the property. His reasons for pursuing the project range from his personal faith experience to honoring persecuted Christians around the world.

“It’s hard to describe the feeling,” Attisha said, reflecting on how he feels since the project was completed and the cross was installed. “The cross gives me ongoing pleasure. Ongoing happiness. I can see it from every part of my house. I cannot help but to be happy.”

Attisha gets frequent thanks from his neighbors who revere the cross and pray to it daily, but he defers the glory to God. “What else could someone wish in his life besides achieving a project like that?”

San Diego has some history with putting crosses on top of mountains. Since 1913, Mt. Soledad in La Jolla has been home to a few different styles of crosses over the years. The original cross was stolen and later burned; a second cross was blown down in 1952; the present cross was installed in 1954.

There was some public and legal opposition to the cross over the years that caused some problems. For a long period, it was unclear whether the cross was a war memorial or a symbol of the Christian religion, legally speaking. Finally, in 2015, a private organization purchased the land from the Department of Defense, which resolved its legal issues and helped pave the way for future crosses like Attisha’s.

Kattoula negotiated with the county to get out of the various permits that, if required, would grind the project to a halt and increase its costs significantly. The biggest issue that remained was how to transport the massive cross to the top of the hill. While there was a road leading up to the designated area, it was far too small to carry the cross all the way up, so Attisha suggested a Chinook helicopter.

Normally, helicopters cannot carry anything of this size, but Kattoula found a company in Washington with aircraft that can airlift up to 25,000 pounds with a Chinook helicopter. After his own firm designed the cross, he found a great partner in Coastline Steel to manufacture and deliver it. In its fabrication, Coastline Steel used a welding technique called complete joint penetration, which makes the connections extremely strong and stable, essentially making it one solid piece of steel.

When the Chinook helicopter arrived at the site with the cross, Kattoula and his team realized the wind from the helicopter would make it impossible to secure the cross standing up, so they laid it down gently. Later, they brought a crane to hold it while his team bolted it down in the foundation. By pure chance, according to Kattoula, the cross happens to be facing true North.

This is not the end of the project, however, nor the hassle from various government agencies. Kattoula had to find a way to light up the cross at night without getting approval for a permanent fixture. To that end, he brought some construction lights and a diesel generator to the cross. Every morning, someone hikes to the site and turns the light on. Every night, someone returns to turn it off. Every few days, someone fills the generator with fuel. Kattoula is working with a team of electrical engineers to design an off-grid solar-powered battery that will light up the cross at night automatically.

In addition, Kattoula and Attisha have plans to add various features to the site. For example, they envision a “crown of thorns” by placing a fence with barbs surrounding the cross. They also plan to include a centerpiece that will feature the heart of Jesus and the heart of mercy.

Attisha mentioned two people specifically whom he called his “heroes” and dedicated the cross to. Each is a martyr in the Chaldean Church and was a victim of a brutal murder.

Fr. Ragheed Ganni was killed in June 2007 after receiving multiple death threats. Walking out of his church, Holy Spirit Chaldean Church in Mosul, he and a few deacons were stopped by a group of armed men. According to news reports, when asked why he hadn’t closed the church like he was ordered to, Fr. Ragheed replied, “How can I close the house of God?” He and his colleagues were shot down shortly after.

Bishop Paulos Faraj Rahho was kidnapped and killed in Mosul in early 2008. Bishop Rahho was taken from his car after his kidnappers killed two of his bodyguards. Reports say that Bishop Rahho got on his cell phone and asked the church not to pay his ransom because the money would be used to do more evil things. Two weeks later, his body was found in a shallow grave.

These stories among others inform Attisha’s devout worship and faith. “Hopefully, the cross will be there for thousands of years,” he said. Attisha added a special thanks to the Chaldean community in Michigan, which played a huge role in spreading the word about the cross and celebrating its installation.

While the cross is not open to the public, there is a path to walk there. It’s a narrow trail and there are some dangerous animals on the way, according to Kattoula. Nobody is stopping anyone from making the trek, he added, if someone wanted to take their chances. He and his family walk up there a few times a week.

“We have so many people in our community that are successful and have humble roots,” Kattoula said. “This is the tallest cross in San Diego and it serves as an inspiration. It serves as a reminder to look up and thank God for all the blessings he’s bestowed on our families, on our community, and on the people around us.”