[SF] church of mars

2032

Mars.

“I claim this planet, and every continent, place to be walked and seen by every human who comes after me. In the name of God Almighty himself. Let this cross be left here as a mark for those who come after us. I pray now to our father in heaven that he let this cross remain safe and untouched to prove this is where we build the first church on this Crimson gem of a world.”

Those were the first words spoken by a human being on the world of mars. When mankind had finally been able to gather enough resources together to send an astronaut team to mars it wasn’t just a flag that was brought with them.

It was a cross that came along to. A simple cross made out of dogwood was made by American astronaut Phillip Cole. Etched into it were several verses including: Genesis 1:1, Matthew 28:19-20, and John 14:6. Written in golden letters on it were the words: I AM. Standing at 7 feet tall it was stored in the shuttle that would take Phillip to mars.

From there Phillip would travel to the red planet. And there, at the top of the highest mountain of Olympus mons on mars would he plant the Cross he’d made and the American flag behind it. When asked later on he’d be quoted as saying “Gods word is the first thing that I know should be brought with us into the heavens of space and beyond. Mars is just the first.”

A devout catholic all his life, Philip-who was on his deathbed bed in 2073-would ask the Pope himself that a church be built on mars when humanity colonizes it. Surprisingly the pope would agree to his request and blessed Phillip before he succumbed to old age.

And so it was in 2102 when the first humans began to colonize mars that they’d travel up to Olympus mons and find the cross that had been planted all those years earlier. Untouched and pristine as the day it was planted.

Thus it was marked as a sacred relic and the first church on mars was built there.