Weekly assignment, Megalith

Standing Stone of Archbishop John Carroll

            Archbishop John Carroll, the archbishop of Baltimore, died on December 3, 1815 and this standing stone is believed to be the marker of his tomb. The standing stone itself is eight feet tall and weighs 1,200 pounds, surrounded by fourteen smaller stones with lit torches of fire on the sides. The rocks were believed to be positioned here by his closes followers. One theory is that the fourteen small rocks that surround the standing stone are believed to represent all the institutions he had established. The lit torches hold the fire that is said to never burn out. I believe the fire represents the everlasting love of God that Archbishop John Carroll brought to the Baltimore area. Every December 3, the myth is that the ghost of Archbishop John Carroll roams the halls of the John Carroll High School in Bel Air, Maryland to continue his life he had as a teacher. Other people also believe the standing stone was used for a place of worship for a church that Archbishop John Carroll had built. They believe the fourteen stones surrounding the standing stone were people who were turned into stones for not keeping the Sabbath day holy. The correct explanation of why the standing stone and the circle of stones surrounding it, is a complete mystery.

Andrew Beard, Josh Mannion