Meet Nazareth's "Whiz Kid" John Hawk

Holy Family Church chose Sunday, Nov. 6 for a special Mass at the cemetery for All Souls Day. John R. Hawk wanted his Eagle Scout project -- replacing a dilapidated cross shelter -- finished in time for the Mass. The problem was it was Nov. 5 and he was only 85 percent done and had to coach his U10 boys soccer team from Nazareth in a weekend-long tournament.

Did he make his deadline in time? Let's rewind before we give the ending away:

A junior at and a member of Venture Crew 1421, Hawk chose to replace a dilapidated cross shelter at cemetery. The crucifix was mounted on a wooden back with a small roof, but the post was rotted, he explained.

“If you lightly touched it, [the crucifix] rocked back and forth,” John said.

In fact, by the time he was ready to begin construction on a new shelter, the whole structure had fallen down. It had been constructed 50 years ago, explained John's father, John C. Hawk.

John’s mother, Anna Hawk, said that even the feet on the corpus were broken off.

“There was some vandalism to the corpus,” said the Rev. Joseph Tobias, pastor of Holy Family Church.

When the soccer team's tournament ended on Nov. 5, John and his father went back to the cemetery to add the finishing touches.

“We were down there with the headlights on placing the crucifix up,” the elder John said. “He made his deadline by the skin of his teeth.”

John’s shelter is similar to the old one, but it's larger and made out of cedar, he said. The shelter is mounted on a post and stands 11 feet high and 7 feet wide.

“Cedar is durable,” John’s father said. “If you take care of it, then it will last a century.”

John coated the wood with an exterior cedar sealer, something the wood wouldn't need another coat of for another five years, John's dad said.

Below the cross is a 12-foot by 14-foot paver block patio with two benches for visitors. John said several people have told him how happy they are to have the benches.

His father said, “I didn’t realize how many people visit a cemetery until you work there.”

And John didn’t purchase the benches -- he made them. He also refinished the flower pots and landscaped the site.

“It’s just a better area now,” John said. “It looks nicer.”

In addition to the shelter, John also replaced a sign at the cemetery's entrance. The old sign had always been one of his father's “pet peeves" -- it just wasn’t big enough to see, John said, and it was too easy to miss.

John had some help from other scouts from his troop and their dads. brought in a backhoe to help pull up old bushes, as well as a dump truck and jack hammers to break-up old concrete, John’s father said.

“He supplied all of the equipment to clear the area before we could start,” he said.

The cross shelter, patio and landscaping totaled about $1,650, John said.

• The church bought a new crucifix.
• The Knights of Columbus donated plants.
• The lumber came from Amerman Lumber in Wind Gap and from Saylorsburg Lumber.
• Shea’s Hardware and Bradco Systems, both in Palmerton, donated paint and supplies.
• A car wash was also held to raise money for the project.

Father Tobias said John did a great job, adding that the completed project reminds him of religious architecture found in European shrines.

“When you look at it, you’ll get that feeling,” he said.

“I think it’s wonderful,” Mary Hawk added. “It’s way more than I even anticipated.”

For John, he said, “There’s a real sense of satisfaction in getting it done.”