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Lions Feeding Christians When the WYD Cross, the Icon of the Virgin Mary and the Aboriginal Message Stick came to St Joseph's Kangaroo Valley, and to Sandon Point Bulli, the respective Lions Clubs provided the barbeque at dusk in the Valley and at sunrise at Bulli. Fr Ronan Kilgannon from the Valley pointed to this as an interesting reversal of history - now the Lions were feeding the Christians! Our diocesan journey of the WYD Cross, Icon and Message Stick covered 63 events in 13 days, as they travelled through the Macarthur, the Southern Highlands, the Shoalhaven and the Illawarra. These special symbols engaged the majority of our 31 parishes, our primary and secondary schools, the Religious Communities, both active and contemplative, and our social welfare outreach. Other places involved were our two Universities (Western Sydney, Campbelltown Campus, and Wollongong University), Berrima Women's Correctional Facility, Keelong Juvenile Detention Centre at Unanderra, St Mary's Retirement Village at Berkeley, the RSL Club at Albion Park, Darcy House, Port Kembla and children with special needs at Mater Dei Camden and Para Meadows Public School at Gwynneville. Bridge to God We walked the Cross and Icon on the bridge over the Shoalhaven at Nowra, over the Windang Bridge across the inlet to Lake Illawarra, over the Hampton Castellated Suspension Bridge at Kangaroo Valley and the "piece de resistance", the spectacular "S" shaped 2005 Sea Cliff Bridge between Clifton and Coalcliff where the Illawarra Escarpment plunges into the South Pacific Ocean. Why? To symbolise that Jesus Christ, by his Cross and Resurrection, is "our great high priest" (Heb 4:14). In Latin Pontifex (pons = bridge, facere = to make). Jesus bridges the gap between us and our Heavenly Father. Jesus brings God closer, so that the human race can have easy access to our Father in Heaven through Jesus Christ our Lord. God is "open to the public!" Public Witness We walked the Cross and Icon through shopping centres and public roads at Varroville, Ingleburn, Campbelltown, Camden, Tahmoor, Kangaroo Valley, Ulladulla, Nowra, Kiama, Dapto, Shellharbour, Albion Park, Port Kembla, Unanderra, Wollongong, Bulli, Thirroul during its Seaside Festival, and Helensburgh. In Campbelltown, Nowra, the Southern Highlands and Kiama, the respective Mayors welcomed our journey. Some State and Federal Politicians attended events in their electorates. As we carried the Cross and Icon past the "Best and Less" store in Nowra, I couldn't help thinking that what we had was "Best and More". We stopped at a nursing home along that same street, where able residents came to the pavement to greet, to pray and to hold the Cross. One lady said to me, "I am a Presbyterian." I told her the Cross belongs to everyone. Churches Together An ecumenical service was held at Camden Showground, where Anglican, Uniting and Baptist clergy spoke; other church communities also participated at Campbelltown Arts Centre, in Wollongong Mall, at Shellharbour, in Kangaroo Valley, at Huskisson and at Bulli. At Port Kembla, the Cross visited a refuge for homeless run by the Baptist Union to which a Macedonian Orthodox priest and some of his parishioners came in traditional dress. In Kiama, the Cross and Icon were walked to the Uniting Church, to be welcomed there by members of the congregation and their pastor who proclaimed some Scripture and addressed the assembly before he and his parishioners took a turn to carry the Cross. Healing and Hope in Suffering We took the Cross and Icon to places of suffering and tragedy to bring healing and hope. Poignant was the stop at a duck pond in Rosemeadow, where a murdered child was discovered in a suitcase last October. Prayers were led by students from John Therry Catholic High School after which they floated a wreath on the pond. At Berrima Women's Correctional Facility, a service was conducted at the massive stone front entrance by Chaplain Fr Ron Peters and a dozen inmates carried the Cross and Icon in the presence of the Manager of Security and staff. At Keelong Juvenile Detention Centre in Unanderra, a limited number of our Diocesan WYD Team, the Director of Centacare, Ms Kath McCormack, and some staff from Centacare and the National JCI Team, brought the Cross and Icon and the Message Stick into the Centre, where the Director and our Chaplain, Fr Andrew Granc ofm, made us welcome. The boys were receptive to the message stick, they venerated the Cross and Icon, had photographs taken in front of the Cross and carried it out. Chaplains from other Churches were also present. The Cross, Icon and Message Stick arriving at Huskisson on Sussex Inlet from Vincentia by boat were met by Naval personnel and cadets and a crowd of some 300 people at Voyager Park adjacent to the RSL Club. Here, the RSL conducted the service assisted by Navy Chaplain, Fr Krzysztof Gebski, to commemorate the 1964 Voyager disaster. Children from State schools in the "Bay & Basin" area carried the Cross and people paid their prayerful respects. The 1887 mine disaster at Bulli killed 81 miners and left that community devastated. The Cross and Icon stopped at the memorial, while St Joseph's Primary School children re-enacted the event. The Anglican Pastor, whose church is adjacent to the memorial, addressed us on the significance of the Cross of Christ in that context. We also took the Cross and Icon to pray and reflect at Flagstaff Hill overlooking the Steelworks, where so much hope, through employment, had been given to the many migrant people, yet where a lot of accidents with ensuing suffering had also occurred. Aboriginal Involvement The constant Indigenous participation in the Journey, where many elders, in different parts of the Diocese, welcomed us to country and received the Message Stick, reached its high point with our visit to the Bomaderry Homes, where the Stolen Generation had its inception. Travelling to Hill 60 at Port Kembla was also a high point for Indigenous participation, as well as bringing the Message Stick by boat across Lake Illawarra to Reddall Reserve, where a special Aboriginal greeting ceremony was conducted. The Aboriginal students, both at St Gregory's, Campbelltown and at St John's, Nowra, enhanced the occasions by traditional dancing accompanied by the Didgeridoo. By Fire Engine and Boat The Cross, Icon and Message Stick stopped at the Diocesan Offices for a special encouragement to those who work in the administration of the local Church through all its apostolic arms; Office of the Bishop, Tribunal, Catholic Education Office, Centacare, Social Welfare, Caritas, Catholic Mission, Catholic Development Fund, Confraternity of Christine Doctrine, Pastoral Services, Liturgy, and RCIA. To add pizzazz, a 50-year old heritage fire engine and fire officers bore the Cross from Fairy Meadow parish to Para Meadows Public School. A special joy was bringing the Cross from Port Kembla Harbour by boat to Wollongong's Belmore Basin. The students of St Mary's College provided a guard of honour through Lang Park to the Cathedral and continued to carry the Cross along Burelli Street past Wollongong City Council Administration Building. The service in Wollongong Mall was yet another demonstration of faith in a public place. 3,500 Gather to Venerate & Celebrate On Friday, 4th April, WIN Entertainment Centre became the venue for our "Light of the Cross Festival". It drew 3,500 people to a joyful fiesta with a youth choir of volunteers from around the Diocese, directed by Angela Quinn, instrumental orchestra under the baton of Michael Mäe and youth bands and drama - a cast of hundreds! The centre piece of the evening was Catechesis on the Cross and Resurrection by Fr Chris Ryan mgs and his JCI National Team leading to everyone present to come reverently to venerate the Cross, Icon and Mary. The finale featured Australian Idol Finalist, Joseph Gateau, and Aria Award Winner, Damien Leith. A band from Figtree Anglican Church was also part of the evening. A midnight Mass and all night Vigil at St Francis Xavier's Cathedral wrapped up the evening. Saying Farewell On the final day, the Cross, Icon and Message Stick was walked over the spectacular Sea Cliff Bridge then onto Bald Hill at Stanwell Tops where hang gliders are carried by the wind. Appropriately, the last welcome for the Cross, Icon and message Stick was at Holy Cross Parish Church, Helensburgh for a Vigil Mass on 5th April. We then passed these special symbols onto Sydney Archdiocese. Strengthening our Faith I was privileged to be on the road for the 13-day journey and to be part of practically all the 63 events. This enabled me to move right around our Diocese in a short time in a pastoral outreach to parishes, schools, religious houses, to institutions - both ecclesial and civil; to engage with our own clergy as well as with some clergy of other denominations and Local, State and Federal government officials. I took the opportunity to shake hands at each event with the majority of my fellow diocesans over the two-week period. By my presence, I wanted to show our Diocese that this Journey was an important and unique opportunity to demonstrate and strengthen our faith and the chance to get the flavour of what World Youth Day is about. Because we began on Easter Monday, we celebrated the Via Lucis, the Stations of the Resurrection, which I explained in this column last month. I was regularly deeply moved personally to witness my clergy being their pastoral selves and to see the way the people of God welcomed these significant symbols by expressing their love and devotion for Jesus, our Saviour, and his Holy Mother. To witness the faith and goodness of our people always strengthens my faith. The great crowds at so many venues, I am sure, must have strengthened the faith of all who participated. We belong to a faith community much bigger than just ourselves. How we personally live the faith impacts on others. We had superb media coverage in every area of the Diocese, which I hope reached many who would not or could not participate in the journey. I pray the witness to faith, hope and love this pilgrimage provided, will stir questions in the minds and hearts of Catholics who have lapsed from practicing their faith and in the hearts of non-believers. In Gratitude I must pay a well-earned tribute to our hardworking WYD Team who planned and executed such a successful full-bodied series of faith events that attempted to be as inclusive as possible in the time available to us. In particular, I thank our WYD Director, Daniel Hopper, and our JCI Coordinators: Jane Littrich and Kylie-Ann Haynes. Our Director of Schools, Peter Turner, facilitated staff and support for all our WYD events. I am also grateful for the generous support of so many volunteers from our parishes and schools, of the staff from our agencies, and of the significant involvement of the local councils, police and other community service groups who ensured that everything ran so smoothly. I kept stressing on our Journey that because of Jesus dying on the Cross and rising again, you and I are saved, redeemed, forgiven and drawn into communion with the God who loves us more than we could ever imagine. As a result, human beings do not have a hopeless end - we have an endless hope! Tags:
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