Nail-Pierced Hand of Christ

When Mark and I first visited The Shrine of Saint Joseph of the Mountains [Facebook] in Yarnell, Arizona, we walked the stations of the cross up and down the hill. After we visited the tomb, we didn’t know what awaited us just a few steps away.

Before us stood a life-size bronze statue of the resurrected Christ Jesus, His left, nail-pierced hand extended out to us (to visitors). I sucked in a breath and stood in awe, thinking of Doubting Thomas at that moment.

Then… “I gotta take a picture of this!” sprang into my mind.

Yeah, the photographer in me showed up in a somewhat sacred moment. However, the image has had an impact on, and inspired, others.

Inspiration and Impact

I captured this image in 2012. About a year later, our community’s beloved Granite Mountain Hotshots (GMIHC) bravely fought, and tragically died at, the Yarnell Hill Fire, losing nineteen crew members (one survived – LODD June 30, 2013).

The fire burned through the shrine’s property, but the cement figures of Christ at each station remained, although some of the wooden crosses and markers were burned. The shrine also lost its retreat center buildings and its gift shop. Volunteers are slowly rebuilding, and you can still walk the stations.

When I put this image out to the public, the following has happened:

Pixabay link to view and download the image – free registration and login needed to download my free image.

How to get this image on a greeting card.

My verse “Lifesaver” and this photo in Lost Pen Magazine, Issue No. 1 (ps. 14-15, September 2019)

My post about Dyane Ford’s blog post about this image (March 18, 2018)

Norma Gail Holtman, blogger, used this image (September 10, 2017)