Witnessing the World Youth Day 08 Cross and Icon move through the 8000 strong crowd at Darling Harbour on Sunday, July 1, was like “watching Jesus Himself walk through a sea of people” Brisbane’s Patrick Keady said.
“When the Cross arrived I just started to cry,” the director of worship for Emmanuel Covenant Community continued.
“Seeing people reach out to the Cross was like watching them reach out to Jesus, to touch the hem of His garment.”
Members of the community’s band, emmanuelworship, were honoured to be chosen to support Guy Sebastian in his debut performance of Receive the Power, the WYD08 theme song.
The WYD Icon and Cross touched down at Sydney airport earlier on the Sunday morning while a crowd of dignitaries including Prime Minister John Howard, NSW Premier Morris Iemma, members of various indigenous communities and delegates representing each Catholic archdiocese in Australia were waiting in a Qantas aeroplane hangar.
Those gathered heard a message from the Vatican Secretariat of State read by apostolic nuncio Archbishop Ambrose De Paoli.
It stated: “On Palm Sunday last year in St Peter’s Square, the Holy Father blessed the Cross and Icon which now stand before you.
“He noted that the passing on of the Cross has become a tradition to be lived with great faith, as a journey of conversion following in the footsteps of Jesus.”
Prime Minister Howard spoke of “the magnificent opportunity” that exists in the July 2008 faith gathering.
World Youth Day 2008 will run from July 15 culminating in a Saturday Night Vigil and Sunday Mass that will having Pope Benedict XVI presiding.
