Question about a cross pendant

  • Thread starter Thread starter HeSavedEvenMe
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
H

HeSavedEvenMe

Guest
This belonged to my grandmother who I never met.

I am convinced she was Catholic but my family won’t speak of anything.

My parents gave it to me about 6 months ago because I happened to be there when they were going through old jewerly. They did not know this, but I have been investigating the Catholic faith and am considering conversion. So, the significance of this pendant is timely to me. (they also gave me a pendant that I believe belonged to this same grandmother and the pendant is very old looking and is silver and I’m sure it is of Mary) I am going to ask my parents if she (grandmother) was Catholic but I doubt they will give me an answer. (her name was Mary Margaret…sounds pretty Catholic to me)

Here is my question: I’ve seen some crosses online that are sold in shops designated Catholic. I’m not talking about Crucifixes…but just cross pendants. Anyway, why do so many of them have a flower in the center that looks kind of like a pansy flower? (or maybe it is just a generic flower and they often resemble a pansy)

What does this mean in the Catholic faith? (the flower)

Thanks.
 
HeSavedEvenMe said:
This belonged to my grandmother who I never met.

I am convinced she was Catholic but my family won’t speak of anything.

My parents gave it to me about 6 months ago because I happened to be there when they were going through old jewerly. They did not know this, but I have been investigating the Catholic faith and am considering conversion. So, the significance of this pendant is timely to me. (they also gave me a pendant that I believe belonged to this same grandmother and the pendant is very old looking and is silver and I’m sure it is of Mary) I am going to ask my parents if she (grandmother) was Catholic but I doubt they will give me an answer. (her name was Mary Margaret…sounds pretty Catholic to me)

Here is my question: I’ve seen some crosses online that are sold in shops designated Catholic. I’m not talking about Crucifixes…but just cross pendants. Anyway, why do so many of them have a flower in the center that looks kind of like a pansy flower? (or maybe it is just a generic flower and they often resemble a pansy)

What does this mean in the Catholic faith? (the flower)

Thanks.
Click to expand...
I’m not sure but I really don’t think there is a significance attached to it. An authentic Catholic cross is a Crucifix, with a body representation of the crucified Christ on it. The flower may have to do with Christ being “the flower of God” or the opening of the petals of Truth and salvation.
 
The “pansy flower” you are describing could be a heraldic or Tudor rose. It can’t tell very well from your description.
 
peary said:
I’m not sure but I really don’t think there is a significance attached to it. An authentic Catholic cross is a Crucifix, with a body representation of the crucified Christ on it. The flower may have to do with Christ being “the flower of God” or the opening of the petals of Truth and salvation.
Click to expand...
A cross without the corpus on it is no less authentically Catholic. It’s true that there are Protestants who have reservations about crucifixes and prefer the empty cross, but the empty cross is also a part of our tradition. Carmelites traditionally keep a cross without the corpus as a reminder that they themselves must mount the Cross. The pastoral staff currently being used by the Holy Father, which was used by HH Blessed Pope Pius IX, does not have a corpus on it.
 
Mary Margaret is my sister’s name. She was named in 1941 by my parents in honor of Our Blessed Mother and in honor of her two grandmothers who were both named Margaret.

I believe that there are times when the Holy Spirit calls to us through just such an incident as you describe. Pray for His help and enlightenment and He may very well lead you home to your family’s ancestral Faith. 🙂
 
JKirkLVNV said:
A cross without the corpus on it is no less authentically Catholic. It’s true that there are Protestants who have reservations about crucifixes and prefer the empty cross, but the empty cross is also a part of our tradition. Carmelites traditionally keep a cross without the corpus as a reminder that they themselves must mount the Cross. The pastoral staff currently being used by the Holy Father, which was used by HH Blessed Pope Pius IX, does not have a corpus on it.
Click to expand...
I did not realize that. Thank you for the (name removed by moderator)ut.
 
Do you have access to a scanner? Can you scan the pendant and let us take a look?

It’s neat the way God is working in your life! I believe very strongly in the prayers of our ancestors who are now in heaven. Back when I first became Catholic, I was given a very quick “vision” of some people in heaven who were dressed in medieval garb and other ancient garb. I KNEW that they were my relatives, because at one time (before the Reformation), all Christians were Catholic. I KNEW that my relatives in heaven, these people who lived many centuries ago, have been praying all these years that their family on earth would return to the Catholic Church. They were smiling at me and nodding in approval, and I know that they were grateful that their prayers had been answered.
 
Cat said:
Do you have access to a scanner? Can you scan the pendant and let us take a look?

It’s neat the way God is working in your life! I believe very strongly in the prayers of our ancestors who are now in heaven. Back when I first became Catholic, I was given a very quick “vision” of some people in heaven who were dressed in medieval garb and other ancient garb. I KNEW that they were my relatives, because at one time (before the Reformation), all Christians were Catholic. I KNEW that my relatives in heaven, these people who lived many centuries ago, have been praying all these years that their family on earth would return to the Catholic Church. They were smiling at me and nodding in approval, and I know that they were grateful that their prayers had been answered.
Click to expand...
What a beautiful story.

This is something that I’ve been relying on since my conversion: the prayers of my Catholic ancestors, for me and for our family! It’s literally been since the Reformation that anyone in my line has been Catholic.
 
It’s a POSSIBILITY, but a not a guarantee, that the flower could be the Lutheran one, which often is surrounded by the words ‘Sola Scriptura, Sola Fides, Sola…um…something? Soli Deo Gloria?’ Don’t remember. But that’s not necessarily the case.
 
I don’t have a scanner, however I saw a photo of a rose of sharon and that is what it is.

Isn’t that in a verse in the Old Testament?

What is the connection to the Catholic faith? I’ve been evnagelical Christian and have never seen this flower on anything.

Michelle
 
Cat said:
Do you have access to a scanner? Can you scan the pendant and let us take a look?

It’s neat the way God is working in your life! I believe very strongly in the prayers of our ancestors who are now in heaven. Back when I first became Catholic, I was given a very quick “vision” of some people in heaven who were dressed in medieval garb and other ancient garb. I KNEW that they were my relatives, because at one time (before the Reformation), all Christians were Catholic. I KNEW that my relatives in heaven, these people who lived many centuries ago, have been praying all these years that their family on earth would return to the Catholic Church. They were smiling at me and nodding in approval, and I know that they were grateful that their prayers had been answered.
Click to expand...
I’d like to think this. That would tie in with my grandmother (the one I mentioned who I never met but have inherited two of her pieces of jewerly and one is a pendant of Mary that says “Pray for Us” on the reverse and appears to be quite old. The other is the cross I’m talking about in this thread.

I’ve been drawn to the Cathoic faith more than once in my life but it was not until now, after really become close to God as a evangelical Christian that I think I was ready/willing/open to look at converting.

Michelle
 
peary said:
I did not realize that. Thank you for the (name removed by moderator)ut.
Click to expand...
Yep. I wear a sterling silver Celtic cross blessed by a priest. No corpus on it.

I have seen crosses with roses on them in antique stores in New Orleans. The Tudor rose/Episcopalian connection makes sense particularly if it is 19th century. But not being able to see it 🤷
 
I’ve heard the flower is a dogwood flower. Tradition says this was the type of wood used to crucify Christ on. The flower is the product of Our Lord’s Passion.
 
Why don’t you post a picture of the pendant. That might help. I have one with a flower, I’m wearing right now.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top