Bethlehem & Calvary Stones

The stones from Bethlehem and Calvary

Here at the National Shrine of the Little Flower Basilica you have the opportunity to reflect on and trace the steps of Jesus’ earthly life, from his birth to his crucifixion. 

When you are walking into the church from Heritage Hall at Doorway No. 4, off to your right is a light-tan colored stone in the floor. That stone came from Bethlehem and was given as a gift to the parish by Pope John Paul II after the church was designated a national shrine in 1998.

Visitors are quite moved upon stepping on the stone from Bethlehem, the place of Jesus’ Birth. Doing so often brings visions of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, and the Three Wise Men at the manger. 

On the other side of the church, in the St. Therese Chapel’s far-right corner, is a marble stone that came from Calvary. It was gifted to the parish by Pope Pius XI in the late 1930s. Visitors are quite moved by placing their hands on the stone from Calvary. Doing so brings to mind the historical reality of the Crucifixion of Jesus. The Son of God freely gave his life at the hands of the Romans to save us from our sins and enable us to share in God’s own life forever. This radical gift of self reveals how much God loves each one of us and calls for a response on our part.

Think of the beatings and scourging Jesus received from the Roman soldiers as he carried his cross to Calvary. Think of the nails in his hands and feet as he hung on the cross. Remember his last words that he spoke from the cross, “It is finished.”

These two stones help represent Jesus’ earthly life, but the good news is that it was his obedience to the Father and his love for us  — that by dying on the cross and resurrecting from the dead he defeated death once and for all and restores our relationship with him and the Father — that gives us the promise of eternal life.