Holy Land USA: Finding Our Way Home

Stephen Schappert, REALTOR®

I: The Threshold of the Valley

You feel it in your bones before the road even begins its long, tender descent — a quiet homesickness rising like mist from the valley floor. The heart knows it is coming home long before the eyes confirm it. Whether you are racing along the elevated ribbons of I-84 or tracing the river’s scarred, beautiful spine on Route 8, the world suddenly softens. The hills part like curtains drawn back by an unseen hand, and in that single, breathless instant the horizon breaks open.

There, rising against the sky on Pine Hill, stands the great white cross — silent, steadfast, luminous. It catches the late light the way forgiveness catches a weary soul. In that moment, something inside you shifts. The weight you carried down the highway lightens. The noise of the world falls away. You are no longer merely arriving in a place.

You are being received.

            

For those who call this terrain home, the first glimpse of the cross is a silent, geographical exhale. It serves as a North Star for the weary—a fixed point in a world of constant motion. While a GPS might announce your arrival in miles, the cross announces it in feeling. It is the visual equivalent of a hand on a shoulder, a signal that the complexities of the road are fading and the familiarity of the hearth is within reach.

This phenomenon is unique to the valley’s topography. The cross doesn’t just sit on the hill; it commands the bowl of the city, acting as an emotional milestone that transcends the physical. To see that glow at night is to know, with absolute certainty, exactly where you stand in the world. It is the threshold between “away” and “home,” a beacon that has greeted generations of travelers with the same quiet thought: “I am Home.”

II: The Hands of a Dreamer

To truly understand the cross that anchors the Waterbury skyline, one must first look at the soil beneath it. In the early 1950s, a local attorney named John Greco looked at the rugged, rocky outcrop of Pine Hill and didn’t see a wasteland. He saw a canvas. With the singular focus of a master artist, he began a work of “Architecture of the Soul” that would span decades and define a city’s silhouette.

Greco’s approach was defined by a profound simplicity. He didn’t wait for massive grants or architectural firms; he began with the “discarded things.” He took the scrap materials of a growing industrial city—recycled cinder blocks, weathered plywood, old bathtubs, and salvaged wire—and began to breathe life into the stone. He was a mason of the spirit, laying one brick at a time to build a miniature Bethlehem and a sprawling Jerusalem. He understood that a masterpiece is not always made of gold; sometimes, it is made of persistence and the humble debris of human life.

As you walk the winding paths of the hill today, you see the remnants of those small, hand-painted buildings that cling to the hillside like a Mediterranean village. These are the brush strokes of a man who wanted to paint a picture in people’s minds, a physical story that a traveler could walk through. There are no complex, daunting monuments here; instead, there are simple structures that invite the observer to stop and wonder. It is folk art on a monumental scale, a testament to the idea that simple words or small acts can create a vision that endures for seventy years.

Consider Donating To Restore Holy Land

III. The Aesthetics of the Horizon

To look at Waterbury from a distance is to view a study in high-contrast composition. The city below is a dense, intricate grid of industrial history—the red-brick skeletons of old brass mills, the sharp steeples of neighborhood churches, and the winding asphalt of the valley’s veins. It is a landscape of complex textures and heavy history. But above it all, perched on the ancient, unyielding granite of Pine Hill, stands the cross. It is the ultimate piece of “Skyline Art.”

Its power lies in its scale and its simplicity. In a world of visual clutter, the cross acts as a “minimalist masterstroke.” It strips away the noise. It doesn’t compete with the jagged rooflines of the city; it anchors them. From the perspective of a traveler, the cross creates a vertical axis that pulls the eye upward, shifting the focus from the grit of the daily commute to the clarity of the open sky. It is architecture reduced to its most potent form: two intersecting lines that speak a universal language of intersection, balance, and rest.

The Transition of Light

The true masterpiece, however, is revealed during the “Blue Hour.” This is that fleeting, magical window at dusk when the sun has dipped below the Berkshire foothills, and the sky turns a deep, bruised indigo. For a few moments, the hill itself begins to vanish, the rocky outcrops and tangled brush fading into the shadows of the valley.

Then, the lights flicker on.

In that instant, the transformation is total. What was a silhouette of steel becomes a glowing beacon of pure light. It is a “surgical” change—precise and powerful. The cross no longer looks like a structure built by human hands; it looks like a rift in the darkness, a doorway of light held open for the weary.

This moment of illumination is the daily heartbeat of the city. To the resident looking up from a kitchen window, or the driver rounding the “Mixmaster,” that glow is a reminder that the dark doesn’t win. It is a simple brush stroke of light against a canvas of night, a signal that home is not just a coordinate on a map, but a light that is always kept on for you. It turns the entire Naugatuck Valley into a gallery, with the cross as the featured work that tells the story of a city that refuses to be forgotten.

            

V. The Modern Vigil

The survival of the beacon is not an accident of engineering; it is an act of communal will. In an era where many landmarks succumb to the “Global Squeeze” of neglect and shifting priorities, the cross on Pine Hill remains a living gallery. It is maintained by a quiet vigil of local hands—laborers, donors, and dreamers who understand that if the light goes out, a piece of the city’s soul goes dark with it.

This is the ultimate “No-Risk Guarantee” for the people of the valley: a promise that no matter how much the world below changes, the skyline remains constant. The maintenance of the site is a testament to the “Trust, Integrity, and Service” that the community feels toward its own history. Every time a bulb is replaced or a stretch of the mountain path is cleared, it is a brush stroke in a never-ending painting of civic pride.

The View from the Summit

To stand at the base of the cross is to occupy a space that few other places in New England can offer. It is a moment of suspended animation. Looking down, the miniature village of John Greco’s original vision—those thousands of hand-laid stones and weathered facades—clings to the hillside like a memory refusing to fade. From this height, the tiny buildings don’t look like a defunct park; they look like the patient, small-scale efforts that mirror how we actually build our lives: one day, one choice, and one stone at a time.

Beyond the hill, the city of Waterbury unfolds in a breathtaking, living map. The sharp angles of the old brass mills, the winding rivers of the highways, and the dense clusters of neighborhood steeples all converge here. It is a landscape of profound depth. You aren’t just looking at a grid of streets; you are looking at the collective work of generations.

This vantage point changes you. It shifts your perspective from being a traveler passing through to a witness of the city’s endurance. It reminds us that while our individual stories are small, they are held together by these shared landmarks. To look down from the cross is to realize that we are all part of a larger, beautiful composition. It is a view that turns a simple observer into a keeper of the city’s story, standing in the light and looking down at a home that was worth every brick.

For generations of Naugatuck Valley families, the first glimpse of the cross on Pine Hill is not just a geographical marker; it is an emotional homecoming. It is the visual exhale at the end of a long journey, a glowing signal that the weight of the road is over and the warmth of the valley has begun.

To the grandparents who watched John Greco haul stones in the 1950s, the light is a testament to the power of a single dreamer. To the parents who remember the park’s peak in the 1960s, it is a nostalgic thread that connects their childhood to their present. And to the young travelers rounding the “Mixmaster” at midnight, the beacon is a silent promise—a North Star that says, “No matter how far you’ve gone, there is a place where you belong.”

The emotion of the beacon lies in its consistency. In a world of shifting skylines and changing fortunes, the cross is the one constant. It has watched over the valley through its industrial heights and its quietest winters. Seeing that light flicker on at the “Blue Hour” feels like finding a hand on your shoulder; it is a profound, shared recognition that we are part of something permanent. For every resident, the beacon transforms the landscape into an altar of memory, proving that home is not just where we live, but where the light is always kept on for us.

            

Stewards of the Hill: How Two Men Answered the Call

A Legacy of Quiet Courage

In the summer of 2013, two men who truly loved Waterbury stepped forward with open hearts and steady hands. Then-Mayor Neil O’Leary and local businessman Fred “Fritz” Blasius purchased the 18-acre Holy Land USA property from the Filippini Sisters for $350,000. They didn’t see a crumbling, overgrown site — they saw a sacred place worth saving for their city and for generations yet to come.

With humility and determination, they formed a nonprofit and began the patient, loving work of restoration. Their first major gift to the hill was a striking new 65-foot steel cross that now shines in changing liturgical colors, visible for miles across the Naugatuck Valley.

Today, that vision continues. Work has already begun on a beautiful new Stations of the Cross trail — a contemplative 0.3-mile path that will wind gently through the woods, offering visitors a place for quiet prayer and reflection. The trail is expected to be completed in time for Good Friday 2026.

Neil and Fritz’s decision reminds us that the most meaningful restorations often begin with three simple, powerful words: “We’ll take it.”

Because of their faith, and the many hands now joining them, the light on Pine Hill continues to grow brighter — not as a distant memory, but as a living beacon of hope for Waterbury and beyond.

The Living Heart of the Hill:

252 Souls Etched in Red

But the story didn’t end when the original wood and plaster began to fade. The dream was picked up by the hands of the community. At the base of the current 65-foot steel cross, the story becomes personal. It is built upon a foundation of red memorial bricks, each one an individual heartbeat of the city. To look at these names is to see the true “Master Architects” of the landmark:

The names of Libertad and Hilda Rodriguez are etched into the stone at the foot of the hill, a permanent tribute to the diverse families who found their “Home” in the shadow of the cross. They represent a generation that arrived with nothing but a dream and built the very soul of the Naugatuck Valley.

As part of our commitment to documenting the history of this landmark, Home and Art Magazine is undertaking the task of creating a full, digital archive of every name listed on the bricks at the cross. We believe every name is a brush stroke in the larger masterpiece of Waterbury’s history, and every story deserves to be told.

Currently 252 Inscribed bricks, Please let us know if we are missing any.  Share memories of these people below in the comments.

  1. IN LOVING MEMORY LIBERTAD RODRIGUEZ NOVEMBER 15, 1914 — HILDA RODRIGUEZ NOVEMBER 8, 1924
  2. IN FULL SUPPORT OF HOLY LAND USA WITH REYES FAMILY 1984
  3. TO GOD BE THE GLORY THE PELAN FAMILY
  4. GOD BLESS HOLY LAND GERALDO & HILDA REYES WATERBURY CT
  5. IN LOVING MEMORY OF OUR PARENTS TOM & SOPHIE KELLY
  6. PETER R. CURRIER BELOVED BY FAMILY & NEVER FORGOTTEN
  7. ELVIRA C. PORCO ERNEST A PORCO DAWN M CATALDO
  8. DOMINIC AND ALBINA MOFFO HAPPY BIRTHDAYS 2014
  9. IN LOVING MEMORY SCOTT GWIZD 2003-2005
  10. SAM & LENA LANZA OUR LOVING CHILDREN PAT, JIM, MARIANNE RICHARD & SAMMY
  11. TIM NAPOLI 1955-2009 ALWAYS REMEMBERING
  12. MARGIE & BILL TUCKER 2014
  13. MICHELLE BARONE COOPER, GILROY
  14. THE BARONE FAMILY STEPHEN & LINDA STEVE & MICHELLE BARONE, NINA COOPER
  15. REVEREND RONALD A. FERRARO
  16. MANY BLESSINGS THE ERCOLI FAMILY PHILIP JR., LOIS, LOUIS, SHARON, PHILIP JOHN, THOMAS, DONNA
  17. SAM & LENA LANZA YOUR LOVING CHILDREN MS. FELICITY SAMUELS 2014 TOM CAT’S CAFE
  18. IN HONOR OF THE VERY REV. JOHN J. BEUINS RECTOR OF THE BASILICA OF IMMACULATE CONCEPTION
  19. DANTE AND MARIE URSINI AND FAMILY
  20. IN MEMORY OF COLELLA 7-25-1922 TO 1-6-2013 RALPH STEFANUCCI
  21. TEACHERS, COACH, ALFANO TANGI, JR. MENTOR, FRIEND 04/03/85 03/22/04
  22. RAMON & CLAUDIA LAFALME-SIMA ERIC, BILL, PAM
  23. CAROL GOUFFARD & JULIUS SITO OF THE NEDO FAMILY
  24. BUT AS FOR ME AND MY HOUSE, WE WILL SERVE THE LORD JOSHUA 24:15 KJV
  25. GOD BLESS ALWAYS JUNEBUG, PUDDLE, BEN & STORKY SWEET DOUGLAS GILFOILE
  26. IN HONOR OF FRANK & BRENDA COUTURE
  27. THE PENTINO FAMILY
  28. MICHAEL MALAGERO, JEANNE EDSON WERE ENGAGED 12-22-2013 THAT SPECIAL NIGHT OF THE NEW CROSS
  29. LIFT UP THE CROSS! RICH & MARY ANN KENDALL
  30. IN LOVING MEMORY ARIEL LUIS CRESPO MICHAEL & ROSE LEVASSEUR
  31. ADAM, SARAH & JASMINE BRITANO 2017
  32. MEMORY OF MY DAD VS SCOLESE LOVE YOU JOBY
  33. IN LOVING MEMORY OF THE MCDONALD AND SCULLY FAMILY MEMBERS WHO HAVE GONE BEFORE US HE IS RISEN
  34. MERRY XMAS 2014 FRED & JAN TEDESCO LOVE -ANT & RACHEL
  35. ALEXANDER J. PAIS 4/30/90 – 8/12/13 BEAUTIFUL & FREE
  36. IN MEMORY OF HELEN I. FRASER
  37. IN LOVING MEMORY OF BETTY & CHRIS CORBETT FROM ALL YOUR FRIENDS WE MISS YOU
  38. THE PISACIK FAMILY 270 GRASSY HILL RD OLD CZARASTY FARM
  39. DEBBY & LARRY SHAPIRO WATERBURYANS4EVER
  40. JESSE & KARA HIKED HERE WITH G
  41. IN MEMORY OF DAREN M RODRIGUEZ WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH IN HIM HAS ETERNAL LIFE JOHN 3:15
  42. IN MEMORY OF FRANCOISE TANGUAY 1929 – 2015
  43. LOVE, HOPE, PEACE KIM, PAT AND NICK DIORIO
  44. THE CORTESE FAMILY
  45. MARIA & GIOVANNI CRUDELE
  46. IN LOVING MEMORY OF PETER & MARY LANZA
  47. FAUNE GOLDBERG 8-1-12 Our Hearts are Broken LOV-Phil,Chris,Zack… MISS U
  48. IN LOVING MEMORY JASON SIWANOWICZ FOREVER IN OUR HEARTS 10/25/83 – 12/22/13
  49. THE TAYLOR FAMILY ALAN, HELEN, CHAD CHASE AND CLEO
  50. DAN & MARTHA KRISCHKE BASTROP TEXAS
  51. JEFFREY PADUA “KEEP BELIEVING”
  52. BELOVED FATHER HENRY P. TREPANIER 1921 – 1980
  53. IN MEMORY OF JOSEPH A. ALONZO
  54. THE TG’S 2014
  55. RICH, DEB, MAGGIE TREY, ELLA AND PETER ATKINS
  56. RICHARD & ELENA BARSCZEWSKI WE LOVE YOU ALWAYS
  57. THE CIRILLO FAMILY 2013
  58. THE DUNCANSON FAMILY
  59. THE GALLIPPI FAMILY
  60. IN GOD WE TRUST THE PELLETINE FAMILY 2014
  61. IN LOVING MEMORY OF CARMEN M RODRIGUEZ WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH IN HIM HAS ETERNAL LIFE JOHN 3:15
  62. GLORY TO HIS NAME FATHER, SON & SPIRIT BY JAMES & FRANCINE
  63. CARMEN ACCOUSTI FAMILY
  64. JOE & LINDA FIORE
  65. IN LOVING MEMORY OF LEO AND KATHRYN MCDONALD
  66. AMPARO & JORGE ROSADO MOM&DAD UNITED AS ONE ON JULY 7th 1951
  67. IN MEMORY OF ROBERT E. MELLON
  68. DONATED WITH BURNSREID FAMILY LOVE WINS 2014
  69. IN MEMORY OF MARY & AUGUST SANTOS
  70. JAMIE P. GORE NOVEMBER 12 1973 JUNE 22 2007
  71. THE LEONARD COWIELLO FAMILY 2021
  72. FRANK HARTNETT LYNN MARTIN HARTNETT
  73. THE IRIS FAMILY 2022
  74. THE HESPEL FAMILY EST. 1962
  75. KAREN, CINDY JULIE, BOBBY
  76. IN MEMORY OF PETER AND CARMELA PACE
  77. CATERINA D’AVERSA 2014
  78. IN MEMORY OF ERIC THOMAS MURPHY 6/14/75—7/01/11
  79. BILL & MAYO CASEY SHINE FOREVER IN WATERBURY!
  80. EVELYN SAMSON NIVEN 1898 – 1975
  81. IN MEMORY OF ROBERT F. CAULFIELD
  82. CRYSTAL, CARLA & SHANNON BRUNNOCK HOLY LAND
  83. ANTHONY E. PORTO IN LOVING MEMORY OF THE PORTO FAMILY 2013
  84. JOSEPH AVELLANI FAMILY
  85. THE TROECHI FAMILY
  86. IN MEMORY OF DORIS COLAVECCHIO MARIO COLAVECCHIO
  87. DIANE AND BILL FOLEY
  88. IBEW LOCAL 420
  89. VOL FIRE DEPT OF PROSPECT
  90. KAREN AND WALLIS BROOKS
  91. THE GUERIN FAMILY AND FRIENDS
  92. KEN & LAURIE STANCO IN LOVING MEMORY OF OUR LOVED ONES
  93. ROCCO AND LAURA LUCIA FAMILY EST 09/22/1956
  94. WILLIAM F PRYOR ARMY USAF USPS A GENTLE MAN
  95. THE BONNARDI’S MICHAEL, MAUREEN & JEFFREY (2014)
  96. IN LOVING MEMORY OF ALBA AND NEIL TREMAGLIO BENEATH THE LIGHTS OF HOME
  97. JOHN AND ELENA EINIK
  98. IN LOVING MEMORY OF OUR CHILDHOOD VISITS HERE WITH OUR PARENTS FREDERICK AND ALICE LABRECQUE
  99. DOMINIC B JAGSARAN GORDON JAGSARAN BEST GIFT EVER I LOVE YOU SON
  100. THE NOLE FAMILY GREGORY, STACIE SARAH & KATIE
  101. IN LOVING MEMORY OF OUR PARENTS CARL AND MARGARET EQUEST TOGETHER AGAIN IN ETERNITY
  102. PATRICK & ELLEN HUSSEY THEIR CHILDREN JOE, NOREEN, EILEEN & PATSEY
  103. ELISABETTA LIBERATORE
  104. IN MEMORY OF SADIE DELNEGRO THANK YOU! FROM A LOVING SON RICKY
  105. SHIRLEY R. MACARY 1/8/1939 – BLESS ALL WHO WALK HERE
  106. IN LOVING MEMORY OF MY DAD FRANK D’AMICO 1935 – 2013 I’LL LOVE YOU FOREVER
  107. ADAM & DON 2017 FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES
  108. MARIA J. MANCINI WE LOVE & MISS YOU 8/19/32 TO 6/27/13
  109. IN HONOR OF SHIRLEY DUNN DAMICO WIFE-MOM-MIMI-FRIEND YOU ARE LOVED ALWAYS
  110. NICHOLAS AND CONCETTA ALBINI
  111. IN MEMORY OF IRENE CORR PETERSON LOVE YOU MOM&JEFF JANIE
  112. THE MAHER FAMILY ED/JOAN/JANET/JIM BUNKER HILL
  113. IN LOVING MEMORY OF OUR PARENTS SPIRIT THAT HELPED MAKE ME WHO I AM CHUCK PAGANO
  114. KEEP THE FAITH! LEO AND MARIE FARRINGTON
  115. IN LOVING MEMORY CURTISS C JOHNSON 1/1/1930-7/25/2013
  116. IN MEMORY OF ALPHONSE AND ALBERTINE DUPONT
  117. IN LOVING MEMORY OF MICHAEL VINCENZA ANDY FILOMENA THE PIZZUTO FAMILY
  118. IN LOVING MEMORY OF LORENZO VIGLIOTTI WITH LOVE FROM HIS FAMILY
  119. MICHAEL GEIDA 3/7/79-9/26/14 FOREVER FRIENDS
  120. MICHAEL AND RENEE PESCE WATERBURY
  121. IN MEMORY OF LAWRENCE AND ANNA ALONZO
  122. AMBITION INSIGHT B NAPS 820
  123. TOWN FAIR TIRE CENTERS OF CONNECTICUT LLC.
  124. IN LOVING MEMORY OF THOMAS P DORSO SR. 1952-2014
  125. DR. & MRS. DANIEL A. D’ANGELO & FAMILY
  126. IN LOVING MEMORY OF TOM MCKENNA 1929 TO 2003 NELLIE MCKENNA 1931 TO 1992
  127. IN MEMORY OF THE CAMPOLI FAMILY
  128. IN MEMORY OF FRANCIS A ALTIERI ANNE M ALTIERI ALTIERI CONSTRUCTION
  129. LEAH, BROOKE, RYAN & TAMMIE ZAINC
  130. HAPPY 100TH BIRTHDAY ANNA MANCINI
  131. IN HONOR OF THE SULLIVANS OF DUMOUCHEL PAPER CO
  132. IN LOVING MEMORY OF OUR ANGEL PEMMA DELIC
  133. IN LOVING MEMORY BURTON AND GIOVANNA MIX
  134. IN MEMORY OF ERNEST C. PORCO JORDAN M. PORCO
  135. CHEPULIS FAMILY JIM PAM STEPHEN KIM JASON MADELYN
  136. JOE ALDORA & CARLEY BALDINO
  137. IN LOVING MEMORY OF JOAN CUMMINGS
  138. ALEXANDRA TREPANIER NOS CHER MEMERE
  139. PAUL AND CHRISTINE COREY BEST WISHES 2014
  140. BJ MORRISSEY CONNIE MORRISSEY ROGER MORRISSEY
  141. MCGRATH’S RESTAURANT PAT PEG RUTH TOM FRAN LINDA JOHN
  142. THE SCHROEDER FAMILY 2014
  143. IN MEMORY OF MICHELE AND MARIA ALBINI
  144. AVE CRUX SPES UNICA +++ ARCHBISHOP LEONARD P. BLAIR HARTFORD
  145. LOMBARD FAMILY
  146. MARY MULHALL DONAHUE 1894 – 1956
  147. SCOFFONE CARL & ANN LOVE ALWAYS
  148. THE IARRARINO FAMILY
  149. THE MATOZZO FAMILY GIUSEPPE/JOSEPHINE DECEMBER 25, 2013
  150. ROTONDO’S WERE HERE, DESCENDANTS OF ANNIO ROTONDO MANNELLO
  151. TO OUR GRANDPARENTS LUKE AND JOSEPHINE MANNELLO
  152. MEMORY ETERNAL JOHN & ANNE S TOPEK
  153. MOM LINN M. DAVIS JUL.1952-NOV.2010
  154. ST. FRANCIS XAVIER CHURCH REV. PAUL J PACE
  155. IN LOVING MEMORY OF JOHN & MARIA LAVADO & MARIA LOPES
  156. VALORIE M AMBRO RICHARD S AMBRO SR
  157. IN LOVING MEMORY OF BABE AND JOE DORSO
  158. IN LOVING MEMORY OF THOMAS L. CALO LINDA FINE ZEMAN 1930 – 2012
  159. IN LOVING MEMORY OF VICTORIA GIANNINI
  160. SHIRLEY M RICHARDS WE LOVE & MISS YOU 5/19/26 – 12/12/02
  161. MICHAEL AND ROSE WALSH MIDDLEBURY, CT
  162. IN LOVING MEMORY OF THOMAS F QUINN AND BETTY C QUINN
  163. FRANCIS, DEBORAH AND ANTHONY VITARELLI
  164. JESSE & KARA WALKED THE GROUNDS WITH G
  165. IN LOVING MEMORY MICHAEL & ROSE LEVASSEUR
  166. IN MEMORY OF DAVID I. DELMONICO LOVE YOUR FAMILY
  167. THE BAO FAMILY ROB, WENDY, RYAN, MIA, 12-12-2013
  168. LUCIEN C. CALCA IN LOVING MEMORY OF PAUL AND JANE MATASAVAGE
  169. KATE L. STOPPER LOVER AND TEACHER OF MUSIC
  170. LORI ANN EINIK
  171. MARIA LINDA MURO IN LOVING MEMORY JOHN 11:25-27
  172. IN LOVING MEMORY LIBERTAD RODRIGUEZ NOVEMBER 15, 1914 — HILDA RODRIGUEZ NOVEMBER 8, 1924
  173. IN LOVING MEMORY OF SCOTT GWIZD JR 2003 – 2005
  174. IN LOVING MEMORY OF LORENZO VIGLIOTTI THE VIGLIOTTI AND SENICH FAMILIES
  175. IN LOVING MEMORY OF ANGELO ALBINI
  176. SARAH LARKIN I LOVE YOU WILL YOU MARRY ME?
  177. IN LOVING MEMORY OF STEPHEN J. O’NEILL “STEVIE O” 1950-2016
  178. IN LOVING MEMORY OF IRENE CORR PETERSON FROM YOUR LOVING HUSBAND AND FAMILY
  179. IN LOVING MEMORY OF OUR PARENTS MARGIE & BILL
  180. IN LOVING MEMORY OF ALBA AND NEIL TREMAGLIO
  181. DOMINIC B JAGSARAN GORDON JAGSARAN BEST GIFT EVER
  182. THE NOLE FAMILY GREGORY, STACIE SARAH & KATIE
  183. IN LOVING MEMORY OF OUR PARENTS CARL AND MARGARET EQUEST
  184. PATRICK & ELLEN HUSSEY THEIR CHILDREN JOE, NOREEN, EILEEN & PATSEY
  185. IN MEMORY OF SADIE DELNEGRO THANK YOU! FROM A LOVING SON RICKY
  186. SHIRLEY R. MACARY 1/8/1939 – BLESS ALL WHO WALK HERE
  187. IN LOVING MEMORY OF MY DAD FRANK D’AMICO 1935 – 2013
  188. ADAM & DON 2017 FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES
  189. MARIA J. MANCINI WE LOVE & MISS YOU 8/19/32 TO 6/27/13
  190. IN HONOR OF SHIRLEY DUNN DAMICO
  191. THE MAHER FAMILY
  192. CHEPULIS FAMILY
  193. IN MEMORY OF ERNEST C. PORCO
  194. MICHAEL GEIDA 3/7/79-9/26/14 FOREVER FRIENDS
  195. MICHAEL AND RENEE PESCE WATERBURY
  196. AMBITION INSIGHT B NAPS 820
  197. TOWN FAIR TIRE CENTERS OF CONNECTICUT LLC.
  198. DR. & MRS. DANIEL A. D’ANGELO & FAMILY
  199. IN MEMORY OF THE CAMPOLI FAMILY
  200. LEAH, BROOKE, RYAN & TAMMIE ZAINC
  201. IN LOVING MEMORY OF OUR ANGEL PEMMA DELIC
  202. IN LOVING MEMORY OF MICHAEL VINCENZA ANDY FILOMENA ALL OF OUR LOVE THE PIZZUTO FAMILY
  203. THE MAHER FAMILY ED/JOAN/JANET/JIM BUNKER HILL
  204. IN LOVING MEMORY OF OUR PARENTS SPIRIT THAT HELPED MAKE ME WHO I AM CHUCK PAGANO
  205. IN LOVING MEMORY OF ALBA AND NEIL TREMAGLIO
  206. IN LOVING MEMORY OF LORENZO VIGLIOTTI WITH LOVE FROM HIS FAMILY
  207. IN MEMORY OF LAWRENCE AND ANNA ALONZO
  208. IN MEMORY OF FRANCIS A ALTIERI ANNE M ALTIERI ALTIERI CONSTRUCTION
  209. HAPPY 100TH BIRTHDAY ANNA MANCINI
  210. IN HONOR OF THE SULLIVANS OF DUMOUCHEL PAPER CO
  211. IN LOVING MEMORY BURTON AND GIOVANNA MIX
  212. IN MEMORY OF ERNEST C. PORCO JORDAN M. PORCO
  213. JOE ALDORA & CARLEY BALDINO
  214. IN LOVING MEMORY OF JOAN CUMMINGS
  215. ALEXANDRA TREPANIER NOS CHER MEMERE
  216. PAUL AND CHRISTINE COREY BEST WISHES 2014
  217. BJ MORRISSEY CONNIE MORRISSEY ROGER MORRISSEY
  218. MCGRATH’S RESTAURANT PAT PEG RUTH TOM FRAN LINDA JOHN
  219. THE SCHROEDER FAMILY 2014
  220. IN MEMORY OF MICHELE AND MARIA ALBINI
  221. AVE CRUX SPES UNICA +++ ARCHBISHOP LEONARD P. BLAIR HARTFORD
  222. LOMBARD FAMILY
  223. MARY MULHALL DONAHUE 1894 – 1956
  224. SCOFFONE CARL & ANN LOVE ALWAYS
  225. THE IARRARINO FAMILY
  226. THE MATOZZO FAMILY GIUSEPPE/JOSEPHINE DECEMBER 25, 2013
  227. ROTONDO’S WERE HERE, DESCENDANTS OF ANNIO ROTONDO MANNELLO
  228. TO OUR GRANDPARENTS LUKE AND JOSEPHINE MANNELLO
  229. MEMORY ETERNAL JOHN & ANNE S TOPEK
  230. MOM LINN M. DAVIS JUL.1952-NOV.2010
  231. ST. FRANCIS XAVIER CHURCH REV. PAUL J PACE
  232. IN LOVING MEMORY OF JOHN & MARIA LAVADO & MARIA LOPES
  233. VALORIE M AMBRO RICHARD S AMBRO SR
  234. IN LOVING MEMORY OF BABE AND JOE DORSO
  235. IN LOVING MEMORY OF THOMAS L. CALO LINDA FINE ZEMAN 1930 – 2012
  236. IN LOVING MEMORY OF VICTORIA GIANNINI
  237. SHIRLEY M RICHARDS WE LOVE & MISS YOU 5/19/26 – 12/12/02
  238. MICHAEL AND ROSE WALSH MIDDLEBURY, CT
  239. IN LOVING MEMORY OF THOMAS F QUINN AND BETTY C QUINN
  240. FRANCIS, DEBORAH AND ANTHONY VITARELLI
  241. JESSE & KARA WALKED THE GROUNDS WITH G
  242. IN LOVING MEMORY MICHAEL & ROSE LEVASSEUR
  243. IN MEMORY OF DAVID I. DELMONICO LOVE YOUR FAMILY
  244. THE BAO FAMILY ROB, WENDY, RYAN, MIA, 12-12-2013
  245. LUCIEN C. CALCA IN LOVING MEMORY OF PAUL AND JANE MATASAVAGE
  246. KATE L. STOPPER LOVER AND TEACHER OF MUSIC
  247. LORI ANN EINIK
  248. MARIA LINDA MURO IN LOVING MEMORY JOHN 11:25-27
  249. IN LOVING MEMORY OF LORENZO VIGLIOTTI THE VIGLIOTTI AND SENICH FAMILIES
  250. IN LOVING MEMORY OF ANGELO ALBINI
  251. SARAH LARKIN I LOVE YOU WILL YOU MARRY ME?
  252. IN LOVING MEMORY OF STEPHEN J. O’NEILL “STEVIE O” 1950-2016

Purchase a Commemorative Brick

Bricks purchased in memory of a loved one or on behalf of your family will be engraved and placed at the base of the Holy Land cross.

Join the Story

Do you have a family member listed on the hill? Or perhaps a memory of Holy Land?

Leave a comment below. Help us fill in the canvas. By sharing these small, personal “masterstrokes” of history, we ensure that the light on Pine Hill never truly goes out.

Volunteers Needed To Rebuild Bethlehem

🌟 REBUILDING BETHLEHEM – Volunteer Call to Action 🌟 Holy Land USA | Waterbury, CT

The beloved miniature village of Bethlehem on Pine Hill has waited long enough.

For decades it has stood as a symbol of faith, wonder, and community spirit. Now it’s time to bring it back to life — together.

We are launching “Rebuilding Bethlehem” — a hands-on, community-driven restoration project at the base of the great cross. Every cleared path, repaired dome, and restored scene will honor the original dream and the families who built this sacred landmark.

We Need YOU

All are welcome — no experience required. Whether you bring an axe, a rake, a hammer, a paintbrush, or simply a willing heart, your hands will matter.

Three Restoration Phases

Phase 1: Clearing, Demolition & Paint Prep Heavy brush clearing, path reclamation, assessment, safe demolition of unsafe structures, and initial paint preparation (cleaning and prepping surfaces for restoration).

Phase 2: Construction & Reconstruction Carpenters and masons will lead structural repairs, rebuilding of walls, domes, arches, and foundations.

Phase 3: Art & Beautification Artists, sculptors, and painters will restore murals, plasterwork, color, and landscaping to bring the village back to life.

Timing

We plan to begin work within the next 30 days. Exact dates will be announced as soon as we finalize logistics with the Holy Land USA Board.

For now, simply leave a message below if you’re interested in helping. Let us know what phase you’d like to join and what skills/tools you can bring (even if it’s just enthusiasm and a strong back!).

Who We Need

  • Landscapers, gardeners, and anyone willing to clear brush
  • Carpenters, masons, and builders (especially needed early for assessment)
  • Artists, sculptors, and painters
  • General volunteers with rakes, shovels, loppers, pruning shears, gloves, scrapers, and good energy

This is more than restoration — it is resurrection. Every branch cleared and every surface prepped is an act of love for Waterbury and for the light that still shines from Pine Hill.

Leave a comment below and join the movement. Let’s rebuild Bethlehem — together.

MORE ON THIS COMING SOON