There’s only one man who know how many crosses adorn the stairwell at the St. Thomas Apostle Parish Center. 

But John Kastelic isn’t talking. 

“That’s kind of a secret,” he said. 

Nor will he say which was the very first one put up nearly 20 years ago.  

“I’m not going to tell you,” Kastelic said. 

What the retired curator will tell you is each of the hundreds of crosses in the “Cove of Crosses” has a story to tell. They came from near and far. From children in an orphanage to men in prison. From the beaches of Normandy during World War II to homes in Jerusalem. From Muslims in Australia and from students in Coeur d’Alene. 

“Isn’t this something? There’s some wild stories in here,” Kastelic said. 

Crosses of different shapes and sizes and materials are adhered to both sides of the stairwell and as Kastelic walks through, he points to some and offers a few words.

“That one was by a boy who died of cancer in Mexico.” 

“See that one up there? That’s from the old Cataldo Mission.” 

They are made from matchsticks, bottlecaps, oak and metal. There is one from every state in the union, and Kastelic set most of them in just the right place. 

A Jubilee Cross is en route from Rome this week. 

“They’re sending it to us special,” Kastelic said with pride.

He points to a Rosary and says it came from Italy. 

“There’s only a limited number of those made and I have one of them,” he said.

He looks around and nods in approval. 

“I could point out the significance of these all day long,” Kastelic said. 

Brady Bailey, assistant curator, considers himself fortunate to be looking after the Cove of Crosses.

“It’s very special,” he said.  

Jeff Clay, maintenance director at the parish center, said he’s been “absolutely blessed” to be part of caring for the Cove and has even put a few crosses in place. 

He is awed by Kastelic’s commitment.

“He knows where every single one of these crosses came from and the stories behind it,” Clay said 

With Lent winding down and Good Friday and Easter Sunday coming soon, Kastelic believes the Cove of Crosses plays a special role in the Catholic faith.

“It's a very holy place,” he said. 

He said it started in 2008 when a visitor called “The Wandering Minstrel” offered to patch and paint the stairwell in exchange for a meal.

The two men did the work and shared a meal. Then, the man produced a handmade cross and asked Kastelic to hang it on the newly painted stairwell wall. 

“Before departing, the visitor described his vision of a shrine called, ‘Cove of Crosses,’” Kastelic wrote on the parish website.   

A few days later, a crucifix with a note was received from an anonymous donor. Dated Sept. 14, it read, “To John, Keep or Discard.” The crucifix was placed next to the man's cross. 

Soon, dozens of crosses and crucifixes began arriving from donors throughout the world. People mailed them, dropped them off in person and had them sent by special delivery. 

They have been showing up ever since. 

The Cove of Crosses was blessed and dedicated to St. Kateri Tekakwitha by Father Mariusz Majewski on Oct. 11, 2017. 

Today, it is home to hundreds of crosses, lining nearly every open spot. It will never run out of space, Kastelic said. 

“There's always room for one more,” he said. 

The Cove of Crosses is free and open to the public. To donate a cross, contact the parish office at 208-664-9259.

    Students meeting at St. Thomas parish center walk the stairwell of the Cove of Crosses on Wednesday.
  

    A cross in the Cove of Crosses.
  

    Crosses decorate the wall in the Cove of Crosses.
  

    John Kastelic stands on the stairs in the Cove of Crosses.