Christ's Celebrations

Illawarra Mercury

Saturday March 22, 2008

JODIE DUFFY

The World Youth Day Cross and Icon are about to visit Wollongong on their way to Sydney, writes JODIE DUFFY.

Where would Christ take the Cross if he was alive today and visiting the Wollongong Catholic diocese?

He'd walk with it through the red-light district of Port Kembla talking to prostitutes and drug addicts, he'd let the troubled youths at the Keelong Detention Centre touch it and, at the former mission home at Bomaderry, he'd feel the pain and suffering of Aboriginal children stolen from their families.

That's where the Cross and Icon of Our Lady, the major symbols of World Youth Day (WYD) to be celebrated at Sydney's Randwick Racecourse in July, will travel when they reach the diocese on Easter Monday, the end of the most holy event on the Christian calendar.

WYD will be celebrated with 63 events in 13 days, beginning in Macarthur, then sweeping through the Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven, before hitting the Illawarra on March 30.

"I believe the Cross is really a key that can help us understand life, it speaks to the very depth of each of us," says Wollongong Bishop Peter Ingham.

"The Cross is the sign of hope, of conquering evil. It speaks of fidelity, hope and faith and these are things we know in our hearts."

He's urged young people, particularly those who are constantly searching "for the highs in drugs and alcohol" to open their hearts and minds.

"I hope the Cross will help people see another aspect of their own life, of their own situation so they don't give in to despair," he says. "Young people need to sit and listen to the Cross and let it touch them, they need to be quiet and be receptive to its power."

The Cross has been to Ground Zero in New York and has given hope to some of the world's poorest people.

"You can look at the Cross and see your own suffering and misfortune in life and it can help you not to get bowled over with what happens to you, it gives you the resistance to fight on and not give in," explains Bishop Ingham.

Christianity, he says, stands for truth, justice, honesty, compassion and reconciliation.

That's why accompanying the Cross and Icon is an indigenous message stick honouring "the year of the sorry" and inviting all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to make the pilgrimage to Sydney in July for World Youth Day.

During the 13-day event in the Wollongong diocese there will also be a strong emphasis on Aboriginal culture, including an overnight vigil at Hill 60.

Wollongong diocese WYD co-ordinator Daniel Hopper believes the two-week event will be the biggest in Australia, combining the region's natural beauty at the same time as taking the Cross to where it's most needed.

"It's mind-blowing when you look at the Cross and contemplate the millions and millions of people who have touched it and to know that everyone else in the world is going through the same problems you're having," Mr Hopper says.

The highlight of the event will be The Light of the Cross Festival at the WIN Entertainment Centre on April 4, with ARIA award winner Damien Leith the headline act.

Mr Hopper says the Cross isn't just for Catholics, but belongs to everyone and is encouraging all denominations to attend.

"I would love for people to have an experience with Christ through the Cross," he says.

"But it's important to understand that it's not the actual wood that's powerful, but it's what it symbolises and that's the power of Christ."

While he doesn't think the Cross will be "the saviour" of the Catholic church, he does believe it will leave a new and lasting energy.

"I think we are standing on the threshold of something really special that we can't even grasp yet," Mr Hopper says. "I think that the Cross and Icon will bear so much good fruit for the church in this region and maybe open the door to those young people who may have felt rejected in the past that they may now feel more connected with the church."

The Cross and Icon have been touring Australia since July last year.

More than 500,000 people are expected to descend on Sydney from July 14 to 21 for the culmination of WYD, including 125,000 international pilgrims.

It will be the first visit of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI to Australia and the final mass will be held at Randwick Racecourse and Centennial Park.

For more information on the Wollongong diocese and Sydney WYD itineraries visit www.wyd08woll.org and www.wyd2008 .org.

Symbols of hope

WORLD YOUTH DAY

Pope John Paul II decided it was time to bring together young Catholics from around the world to celebrate their faith. The first World Youth Day (WYD) was held in Rome in 1986 and is now celebrated every two to three years.

WOODEN CROSS

The 3.8m Cross is made of fir wood and weighs 40kg. It was a gift from Pope John Paul II to all young people as a symbol of Christ's love for humanity with instructions that it be "carried throughout the world".

ICON

Salus Populi Romani (Protectress of the Roman People) is one of the oldest and best loved Marian icons in the world. A representation of the ancient painting was given to young people by Pope John Paul II in 2003 to accompany the Cross on its journey around the world. The original is located in the St Mary Major Basilica in Rome.

MESSAGE STICK

The WYD message stick is travelling with the Cross and Icon inviting indigenous Australians to become World Youth Day pilgrims. The stick is presented in each diocese or new location wherever there are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people present.

THEME

"You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses." (Acts 1:8)

Source: wyd2008.org

© 2008 Illawarra Mercury

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