Jesus statue on top of Mt Cristo Rey
Jesus statue on top of Mt Cristo Rey
The image shows the end of the construction of the Jesus statue on top of Mt Cristo Rey, NM, in 1939. It was dedicated in 1940. Father Lourdes F. Costa, the priest of Smeltertown since 1912, envisioned a statue on top of the Sierra de Cristo Rey (formerly known as the Cerro de los Muleros, Mule Drivers Mountain), in Sunland Park, New Mexico. First, a twelve foot high wooden cross was erected in 1933 and a couple of month later it was replaced by an iron cross. In 1939, a 29 ft. tall limestone statue of Christ by sculptor Urbici Soler was erected on top of Mount Cristo Rey. It can be seen from all three states and it serves as a shrine to thousands of faithful in the El Paso and Southern New Mexico area. Consequently, Father Costa had realized his dream to inspire the people who live at the crossroads of three states with a lasting symbol of hope and peace.
