An Easter Tradition

Since 1985, the Madonna Inn and family have set up an illuminated cross at the peak of Cerro San Luis Obispo each and every Easter.

The cross, which takes a crew of three people nearly five hours to transport and construct, stands 30 feet high and nearly 20 feet wide. It remains on the mountain from Good Friday until Easter Monday.

Initially, this gesture was carried out in conjunction with various local churches to allow for an Easter sunrise service. Hundreds of locals (some even dressed in suits, ties, and high heels!) would begin their morning trek up the mountain in the dark - timing their hike so that they would reach the top just before the sun rose.

While there are no formal services or congregations affiliated with the Easter cross today, there are still many locals who will make their own journey to the top of the mountain this Easter weekend for a prayer, a moment of mindfulness, or a sweaty selfie.

During this season of social distancing and isolation, we hope the cross will bring a glimmer of hope to our beloved community - reminding us that we are still united as a collective, even if from afar.