World Youth Day 2008

Journey of Cross, Icon and Message Stick

Broadmeadows - Will Will Rook Pioneer Cemetery & Penola Catholic College

An event on Monday, 28th April, 2008, many crowds gathering around the with World Youth Day Cross, Icon and Message Stick. The event began at the Pioneer Cemetery - to honour the work of the Sisters of St Joseph who cared for and nurtured unmarried mothers and their babies.

All Sisters who had lived or worked at Broadmeadows were invited, and about a dozen Sisters, together with members of Penola Catholic College as well as surrounding Parishes, braved the freezing early morning start at 7am.

At the Pioneer Cemetery lies a stone taken from St Joseph's Babies' Home, commemorating children that died in infancy and are buried there.  We were invited to light a taper which carried the names of two of the deceased children .

The Cross, Icon and Message stick were transferred to Penola Catholic College, where children from all the local Catholic Primary Schools came to have their time to reverence in prayer.

During the day, representatives from other Catholic Secondary Colleges also gathered for a time of remembering and prayer.