Overlooking downtown Waterbury and I-84, a 56-foot LED cross has become a beacon of light, both figuratively and literally, for those in the city. Installed exactly a decade ago this coming December, the cross symbolizes the city’s roots to Catholicism.
The cross is also the centerpiece to the Holy Land property, a defunct religious theme park that attracted thousands when it was active for almost three decades in the mid-1900s. After it closed in 1984, the property sat in various states of dormancy, but for Waterbury Rev. Jim Sullivan, 63, he believes there is still more to come in the story of Holy Land.
“I believe God speaks on mountains and I think the good Lord will speak on this mountain as we move forward,” Sullivan said. “Now how that’s going to unveil, I don’t know.”
Sullivan, who is the rector at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Waterbury, said he has been invested in the Holy Land property since he can remember. He has attended city meetings since the 1980s to see what will become of the property and is now serving on the board of directors that oversees it. Holy Land is operated by a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, which is run by a board of directors.
Father Jim Sullivan at the Holy Land USA property in Waterbury, Connecticut, on Nov. 6, 2023.
Andrew DaRosa/Hearst Connecticut MediaThough no definitive plans have been made regarding reconstruction efforts for the roughly 18-acre property, Sullivan, who owned a contracting business for 25 years before being ordained a priest at 53, said that a few ideas have been suggested that he hopes will be implemented. Some of those ideas include a new parking lot with easier access to the Hamilton Avenue exit on Interstate 84 and landscaping the land around the Holy Land USA sign to include staircases up to the cross. Each step in the staircase would symbolize one of the “Hail Mary” prayers in the rosary, according to Sullivan.
Among the LED cross (which replaced the old cross that stood on the property) and floating plans, there are still remnants of the original theme park on the property, which was conceived by Waterbury-based attorney John Greco in the 1950s. It still includes replicas of biblical sites in Bethlehem and Jerusalem, albeit in a state of decay. If renovations were to occur in Holy Land, Sullivan said that he’d hope that many of those original structures would be kept.
“Out of respect for John Greco, some of those would always remain just to remember what he did in the 1950s,” Sullivan said, adding that the board would need to agree on what to do with those structures.
The Holy Land USA property in Waterbury, Connecticut, on Nov. 6, 2023.
Andrew DaRosa/Hearst Connecticut MediaBecause of those abandoned structures, the property has been viewed through the lens of being a time piece of a bygone era. However, Sullivan said that spending time on the property will change anyone’s mind of Holy Land being an “abandoned” or “forgotten” place.
“One or two experiences of coming up here and seeing the beauty and the potential, I think dispels the darkness,” Sullivan said.
Holy Land is still used today to celebrate Mass and practice other Catholic faith-based traditions, such as praying the rosary. Sullivan said he held his first Mass at Holy Land in 2018 after leading his former congregation in Ansonia to practice Mass on nearby mountains as mountains hold copious amounts of symbolism in the Catholic bible. “I called the mayor’s office. They immediately said ‘yes,’ and it was the first time we had a Mass up here,” Sullivan said, adding that the first Mass drew approximately 1,100 people in the pouring rain.
In 2019, Sullivan was assigned to serve in Waterbury. In the four years since the Waterbury native returned to his hometown, he has held Masses on the hilltop during Easter as well as virtually during the pandemic. Last month, Sullivan and members of his congregation prayed the rosary on the hill for the Israel-Hamas war. He anticipates the next Mass will take place in the spring.
The Holy Land USA property in Waterbury, Connecticut, on Nov. 6, 2023.
Andrew DaRosa/Hearst Connecticut MediaTalks of the restoration of Holy Land happen to coincide with that of the beatification of Michael J. McGivney, a Waterbury native who founded the Knights of Columbus. The next step for McGivney would be canonization into the Catholic sainthood. According to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the status of “blessed” is granted to someone who has been attributed to “one miracle acquired through the candidate’s intercession” that has been proven by the church. Meanwhile, the sainthood status requires the person to already have been beatified and then have a second church-proven miracle happen after beatification.
If that were to happen, Sullivan said Waterbury, and in turn Holy Land, could become a place of pilgrimage.
“For me, this is a special place because I have a feeling he’ll be canonized a saint,” Sullivan said. “If he was canonized a saint, Waterbury would become a place of pilgrimage so I have a feeling that the restoration of Holy Land, whatever that means or will be, will also be a place of pilgrimage because of him.”
The Holy Land USA property in Waterbury, Connecticut, on Nov. 6, 2023.
Andrew DaRosa/Hearst Connecticut MediaFrom directions to its history, scroll below to see more things to know about Holy Land.
What is Holy Land USA?
Holy Land USA, commonly referred to as Holy Land, was a biblical theme park that opened in 1956. John Greco, a Waterbury attorney, developed the park, which included a number of religious dioramas from the life of Jesus Christ in Jerusalem and Bethelem. At its height, it hosted tens of thousands of visitors per year, according to Connecticut History.
Due to Greco’s failing health, the park closed in 1984. Greco died in 1986 and the park was entrusted to the Religious Sisters of Filippi, who sold the land in 2013. Holy Land is operated by a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, which was founded by Waterbury Mayor Neil O’Leary and automotive dealer Fred Blasius, according to Jennifer Rose, executive secretary to O’Leary. The same year, the LED cross that stands on the property was erected.
Is Holy Land still open?
Holy Land is open to walk around during the day, but the park is closed to visitors after sunset.
How do you get to Holy Land?
The entrance to Holy Land is located at 60 Slocum St. in Waterbury. The park is accessible from I-84 and Route 8, and is only a five-minute drive from the Brass Mill Center and a seven-minute drive from downtown Waterbury. The gates remain closed to cars, but visitors can park on the street and walk up to Holy Land. Street parking is limited near Holy Land.
The Holy Land USA property in Waterbury, Connecticut, on Nov. 6, 2023.
Andrew DaRosa/Hearst Connecticut MediaWhat is the Holy Land property being used for today?
Much of the Holy Land property has been maintained, and is being used on occasion for Masses and other Catholic religious traditions. However, even though the property’s history is rooted in Catholicism, Sullivan said “people of all faiths walk up here right now.”
“You’re amidst a city, but it’s so peaceful up here,” Sullivan added.
In its current state, the mountain can hold up to 300 cars for special events and it has hosted events for hundreds of individuals, according to Sullivan.
What is in store for the future of Holy Land?
According to Sullivan, some ideas have been passed around for the Holy Land property, including a prayer walk and a new parking lot with better access to the highway. However, no definitive plans have been announced for Holy Land.
Sullivan said it is important to look at the “spiritual climate of the day” in order to determine what direction to head with the property, asking if certain elements “will attract people.” Sullivan also noted “the spiritual climate of world was different in the ’50s and ’60s” and that the board will need to find new creative ways of looking at the mountain that would appeal to all people.
