By Lissy Maruthanakuzhy
Panaji, Oct 25, 2024: A cross made of 198 pieces of wood and an icon of Mother Mary are now journeying through the parishes of the Archdiocese Goa-Daman.
“Each piece is of different size, color and shape to show that each parish and people in the archdiocee are different but united in one cross,” said Father Jovial Fernandes, who made the cross.
The journey that began July 28 will end on December 8, the feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, at Talegao parish where the archdiocese will hold its diocesan youth day seven days later.
Fathers Fernandes and Blaise Robert Lobo, the director of Goa’s Diocesan Youth Centre, drew the idea from St John Paul II, who started the journey of the Pilgrim Cross and icon of Mary for the World Youth Day.
Father Fernandes said he used four different types of wood for the cross that consists of 198 pieces of wood, representing the parishes and chapels in the archdiocese.
The 34-year-old priest assisted his friend carpenter to cut the pieces.
It took 20 days to make the 5.5 feet high Pilgrim Cross.
Father Lobo mooted the idea after participating in the last World Youth in Portugal. The Pilgrim Cross travels to each continent every three years before the World Youth Day.
Father Lobo suggested something similar for the youth day in the Goa archdiocese before the Jubilee Year. “And so, we came upon this idea,” Father Fernandes told Matters India.
Father Lobo said the purpose of the program was to help youth realize that they are all pilgrims with hope on the journey of faith.
The cross was blessed on July 28 by Auxiliary Bishop Simiao Fernandes of Goa and Daman before it began its journey through the 19 parish deaneries of the archdiocese.
The cross and portrait remain a week in every deanery, moving around the parishes.
“All cannot travel to youth day as only representatives from different parishes participate. But all youth in a parish can participate and have an experience in the journey of this pilgrim cross,” Father Lobo said.
Around 1.5 million young people from around the world attended the last World Youth Day in Lisbon, capital of Portugal in August 2023 with the theme “Mary Arose and went with haste” (Lk 1:39).
The Catholic Church began organizing the triennial event for the youth inspired by Pope John Paul II in 1985. Its concept was influenced by the Light-Life Movement that has existed in Poland since the 1960s.