Cross shines its light over Broken Bay

The first event with the Cross & Icon today was held at St Paul’s College, Manly, where the students led a simple but effective Stations of the Cross, using contemporary scenes to illustrate the relevance of Jesus’ final hours to us today.
The students entered into the veneration time really prayerfully in the beauty of the school grounds, high up of the cliff overlooking the beach.
The next school the Cross & Icon went to was St Augustine’s, Brookvale, where the lively students greeted the symbols like celebrities, forming a guard of honour all the way up the school driveway. It was really powerful to hear three students share from their own experiences of faith as a witness to the other students gathered around the Cross today.
The Cross & Icon received a warm reception from the Stella Maris College students from Manly, where the symbols were a welcome addition to the school sports day. It was great to have the Cross come to the students in such a fun and energetic setting and was lovely to see the students dressed in their house colours coming to venerate the Cross & Icon, a reminder that Jesus is just as present with us when we are having fun as when we are praying in a church!
The last schools visit for the day was at Mater Maria, Warriewood, where the students greeted the Cross & Icon with a liturgy.

The afternoon consisted of a group of young people from the Broken Bay Diocese walking the Cross along Palm Beach and up a small track to the iconic lighthouse. A liturgy focussed on the importance of the lighthouse as a tool for navigation and as the sun began to set a liturgy was held around the Cross that focussed on the beauty and simplicity of creation. As we looked out over the water and faced to the four corners of the earth, we prayed in thanks for all blessings God provides for us in creation.