Raised up: SNCOs raise the World Youth Day Cross and Icon as part of their journey round Australia.
THEY are attributed with helping to bring freedom to Eastern Europe, reconciliation to Rwanda and solace to Ground Zero, but when they visited South East Queensland they bought another miracle – rain.
The heavens opened as the World Youth cross and icon made their way to Kokoda Barracks as part of their global pilgrimage ahead of World Youth Day in Sydney next year.
In 1984 Pope John Paul II entrusted the 3.8m-high wooden cross and later the “icon of Mary” – a painting of Mary and the baby Jesus – to the youth of the world as symbols of “Christ’s love and humanity”.
The Pope’s instruction was to take them to every corner of the world and on August 20, for the first time, they visited an ADF facility.
The cross and icon were collected from Marymount College on the Gold Coast by an honour guard of SNCOs and transported to Canungra aboard a Bushmaster.
Bishop Max Davies, Bishop for the Military Ordinariate, welcomed the Vatican treasures and thanked the Lord for answering the prayers for rain.
While at Kokoda Barracks, the religious objects were taken to seven stations each with a focus on where ADF members were currently on operations and prayers were offered at each point.
At the final station, which represented the sacrifice of those who have died during military service, a piper played a haunting rendition of Amazing Grace and the crowd joined in voice.
“For me it was the cathartic moment of the day,” Bishop Davies said.
“The cross and icon have two affects; a public and a private affect and you could see people being visibly moved by the evocative symbols.
“From when we picked up the cross and icon, to when we handed them over on their journey, many hundreds of young people had the opportunity to see a little of the spiritual side of military service.”
The religious artifacts will be in Townsville on September 16, on the Barrier Reef aboard HMAS Wollongong on September 22 and in Darwin on September 30.
