Crooked cross offers clear message for June 8 show

The Holy City has no shortage of looming church crosses, but the one above St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church on Anson Street is different.

For almost 34 years, the cross, which tilted to the right after being damaged by a hurricane, was too expensive to fix. But in 2023, when the parish finally had the funds for a renovation, they installed a brand-new — and still crooked — one in its place.

“We want everybody in town to realize you don’t have to be straight in order to be there,” said Wayne Helmly, director of music and organist at St. Stephen’s. “And a crooked cross tells that quicker than anything else.”

The parish’s chamber music series returns to Piccolo Spoleto on June 8 with “The Rainbow Connection: Music by LGBTQ+ Composers.”

A history of open doors

St. Stephen’s has long done th