At-Risk Youth in Vocational Training Make Crucifixes for Sale at Crossroads Collective

Through Crossroads Collective’s Antique Crucifix Project, at-risk youth gain vocational skills for a hopeful future. The prayers of a closed-down monastery in Europe continue to inspire faith in Acadiana. And, the programs of Catholic Charities of Acadiana to those experiencing homelessness, hunger, and poverty receive another source of funding.

Crossroads Collective became a social enterprise of Catholic Charities of Acadiana in 2019. As a store, one of Crossroads Collective’s missions is to reclaim religious antiques and bring them back to homes and churches where they can again enrich the lives of the faithful. As a social enterprise, Crossroads Collective has dreamt of becoming a platform to engage those experiencing poverty with a means for dignified work or vocational training.

For years we have asked ourselves how this could work.

In 2021, Crossroads Collective staff came across a crucifix that once enriched the faith lives of a monastery in Northern France. The Romanesque-style corpus and plaque made out of an ancient stone nailed to native European wood made this crucifix something we wanted to bring back to bless the Acadian community. After prayerfully discerning, we believed that this crucifix had a bigger purpose in fulfilling our vision as a social enterprise.

We approached Fr. Michael Champagne, knowing of the Community of Jesus Crucified’s great work in St. Martinville, in hopes that a collaboration might be possible.

After a year of prayer and discussion, this collaboration has come to life as Crossroads Collective and the Community of Jesus Christ Crucified's Oratory Don Bosco ministry partner in the Antique Crucifix Project. And now, in 2022 the original cross that we discovered in 2021 serves as the model for replication by the youth participating in vocational training in woodworking!

Through the Antique Crucifix Project, at-risk teens learn how to reclaim wood for another purpose by using woodworking tools such as a router, plane, and table saws to form the cross. They also learn the techniques involved in sanding, staining, and sealing. Another notable part of this project is that the material they use to make the crosses are from retired church pews donated by Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church!

We invite you to visit Crossroads Collective to “purchase with a purpose” to both inspire faith in your family and support your neighbor in need.

Thank you for our prayers and support of both Catholic Charities of Acadiana and Oratory Don Bosco!

Located in the Oil Center, next to Hub City Diner, Crossroads Collective curates a unique selection of gifts, local art, antiques, books, and home items, all focused on bringing beauty into the world through the gift of our faith. As a social enterprise of Catholic Charities of Acadiana, 100% of your purchase’s profit supports programs for those experiencing homelessness, hunger, and poverty.