Lake in the Hills woman wears her faith on office wall

Some people collect coins, while others can't wait to get their hands on the latest stamp.

What's Joanne Weber's hobby?

She collects crosses.

After three years, the Lake in the Hills resident has hung up 44 crosses -- and she's still counting.

Weber displays them at Light of Christ Lutheran Church in Algonquin, where she works as a secretary.

There, they occupy a single wall in her office and take the shape of … you guessed it … a cross.

Parishioners know all about her obsession and frequently bring her quirky crosses that she then adds to her collection.

Some are made out of beads, others from popcorn kernels and still others from pewter. They come from places all over the world, and each one has a story.

For example, Weber's favorite cross came from the Rev. Ray Porter, one of the church's substitute pastors, who picked up a large, handmade pewter cross during a trip to a Georgia monastery.

That particular cross holds a place of honor on a separate wall in her office.

"I was just so overwhelmed when he gave it to me, I said, 'Are you sure? It's too beautiful,'" Weber said.

Weber's husband, Joe, returned from a trip to Mexico with a cross, and co-worker Gina Carter this week gave her a cross from St. Augustine, Fla. -- in fact, Carter has given her friend at least 10 crosses.

Then there's the one a girl affiliated with the church created out of paper after seeing Weber's collection.

Knowing that Weber loves bunnies, the little girl -- named Jessie -- drew one on the cross, in addition to a dog, a flower and a smiling Weber.

A crucified Jesus remained in the center.

"I came back in here and I was crying," Weber said. "She just touched my heart."

The crosses weren't all gifts, though. Weber has made some interesting finds of her own.

She bought a cross from Bethlehem made of wood. There's also an orange and blue beaded cross made by African women she bought to support their efforts.

She's found others at garage sales and in local stores.

Weber, who was raised a Roman Catholic, is used to seeing crosses.

As she grew up, Weber's parents always place a cross placed above her bed.

Inspired by the church's former senior pastor, the Rev. Scott Hove, who also had an extensive collection of crosses -- Weber, who joined the Lutheran church 13 years ago, decided she'd start one of her own.

When she looks at the crosses in her office, she remembers the stories behind them; most importantly, though, she says they help her remain mindful of Jesus' ultimate sacrifice.

Weber hopes her cross collection inspires others to think about their relationship with God.

"The cross is just so special to Christians," Weber said. "It's just a beautiful reminder of God's goodness, and how wonderful he was to us to send his son down here to die for our sins to save us," she said.

So what happens to her collection once the church relocates to a bigger building, as parishioners hope, in a few years?

"We've got a plan for where they go when we go to the new church," quipped Carter, of Algonquin.