From a Hidden Roman Chapel to Your Home: How a 700-Year-Old Crucifix Revealed Compassion

Several years ago, in the heart of Rome, Cardinal James Stafford — an American cardinal who had served as Major Penitentiary of the Apostolic Penitentiary — stepped into a quiet side chapel inside the ancient Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere.

The year was 2015 when he spoke publicly about what happened next.
In that dimly lit space hung a large wooden crucifix dating back to the 1300s. Centuries of dust, darkened varnish, and time had almost completely obscured the figure of Christ. Yet, as Cardinal Stafford prayed before it, he saw something extraordinary beneath the layers of age: the body of Jesus still expressed a profound, self-giving love.

“I was deeply moved,” he told CNA on January 9, 2015. “Even in the darkness of the paint that had covered it, there was a beauty to the body that spoke of love that came through giving of himself for others, on behalf of us.”
That moment turned his thoughts to the people outside the church — the homeless (“senza tetti”), the unemployed, the mentally ill, and all those living without shelter or hope in the streets. He felt a strong calling: this image of Christ’s suffering love should not remain hidden. It should be brought back into the light so that those who needed compassion most could encounter it.
Together with the basilica’s priest, Don Marco Gnavi, Cardinal Stafford raised funds to restore both the ancient crucifix and the sorrowful image of Our Lady that accompanied it (believed to come from the school of Bernini in the 1600s). The restoration began in 2013 and was completed about a year later. When the work was finished, the wounds, the blood, the tender expression on Christ’s face were revealed again — and the chapel became a place where many more people came to pray and find comfort.
For Cardinal Stafford, the restored crucifix was much more than art preservation. It was “a discovery of the desire to deepen profoundly our sense of compassion — the compassionate God and the compassion that his disciples should show to one another.”
That story from 2015 still resonates today.

At My Belief Zone, we’ve been carrying crucifixes that carry this same spirit for many years. We believe every crucifix in a home is a quiet, enduring sign — a reminder of Christ’s love and compassion that never goes out of date.
That’s why our collection includes:

Traditional wooden crucifixes with warm, handcrafted details
Modern, minimalist designs perfect for smaller spaces
Smaller devotional pieces ideal for bedside tables, prayer corners, or office desks

Each one is chosen to help bring the presence of the Crucified Christ closer to daily life — just as that Roman chapel cross was brought back for the people who needed it most.
If you’re looking for a crucifix that speaks to the heart and stands the test of time, take a look at our selection.
Browse Our Crucifixes →
May the compassion revealed on the Cross continue to touch hearts — in Rome, in your home, and everywhere.
Do you have a crucifix that has been meaningful to you over the years?
Feel free to share your story in the comments below. We’d love to hear it.
God bless you.