Gumleaf
July 13th, 2008, 10:14 PM
12:30 AEST Mon Jul 14 2008
Hundreds of young pilgrims greeted the World Youth Day cross and icon with applause and singing as the religious symbols arrived at Sydney's Circular Quay by ferry.
Pilgrims singing in dozens of different languages flocked to central Sydney on Monday morning to accompany the World Youth Day symbols in a procession along Pitt Street to Central Station.
"For us, the cross is a message from Christ," Italian pilgrim Paola Verde told AAP.
"It's a message of hope and love."
Rolling road closures were in place in central Sydney on Monday for the procession of the cross and icon.
Dozens of office workers came out into the streets to see about a thousand pilgrims dancing and singing through central Sydney.
Noisy chants of "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie" accompanied choruses of Ave Maria and a "Bongo Polska" chant from a contingent of Polish Catholics.
"The Polish spirit comes through a thousand years of Catholicism and enormous loss of life through many wars and periods of oppression," pilgrim Edward Debrovski told AAP.
The spirit of Polish Catholics had been strengthened since the reign of the Polish Pope John Paul II, he said.
American pilgrim Anna Samuels accompanied the cross and icon across Sydney Harbour on the ferry and said the excitement was overwhelming as it sailed into Circular Quay.
"Now is just the beginning," she said.
"It was just so wonderful having everyone singing as one as we came into Sydney."
Sydney store worker James McInerney said he was enjoying the show but was not tempted to join in the procession.
"It's something you don't see every day, I'm just sitting back trying to see what it's all about," Mr McInerney said.
"There's a lot of smiles, a lot of happy people around, which has got to be good, you don't often see that in the city on a Monday morning."
Ten-year-old pilgrim Paolini Pazdzior said the arrival of the cross was a special moment in her life.
"It's amazing to have it here, to feel the power," she said.
While several office workers said they were indifferent to the procession, hundreds of others went out into the streets to watch and listen.
"It's great. Maybe I'd join in if I didn't have to work," travel consultant Henry Nguyen, 29, said as he walked into Sydney's Pitt Street Mall.
"It's a great time to have it, in school holidays so young people can get involved."
Other office workers were reluctant to comment on the inconvenience as they hurried to appointments on foot instead of taxi or bus as Pitt Street and its cross streets were closed.
Sections of the procession appeared more like a football crowd, singing and chanting, while those carrying the cross and the large icon depicting the Virgin Mary were quietly chanting and singing.
Hundreds of young pilgrims greeted the World Youth Day cross and icon with applause and singing as the religious symbols arrived at Sydney's Circular Quay by ferry.
Pilgrims singing in dozens of different languages flocked to central Sydney on Monday morning to accompany the World Youth Day symbols in a procession along Pitt Street to Central Station.
"For us, the cross is a message from Christ," Italian pilgrim Paola Verde told AAP.
"It's a message of hope and love."
Rolling road closures were in place in central Sydney on Monday for the procession of the cross and icon.
Dozens of office workers came out into the streets to see about a thousand pilgrims dancing and singing through central Sydney.
Noisy chants of "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie" accompanied choruses of Ave Maria and a "Bongo Polska" chant from a contingent of Polish Catholics.
"The Polish spirit comes through a thousand years of Catholicism and enormous loss of life through many wars and periods of oppression," pilgrim Edward Debrovski told AAP.
The spirit of Polish Catholics had been strengthened since the reign of the Polish Pope John Paul II, he said.
American pilgrim Anna Samuels accompanied the cross and icon across Sydney Harbour on the ferry and said the excitement was overwhelming as it sailed into Circular Quay.
"Now is just the beginning," she said.
"It was just so wonderful having everyone singing as one as we came into Sydney."
Sydney store worker James McInerney said he was enjoying the show but was not tempted to join in the procession.
"It's something you don't see every day, I'm just sitting back trying to see what it's all about," Mr McInerney said.
"There's a lot of smiles, a lot of happy people around, which has got to be good, you don't often see that in the city on a Monday morning."
Ten-year-old pilgrim Paolini Pazdzior said the arrival of the cross was a special moment in her life.
"It's amazing to have it here, to feel the power," she said.
While several office workers said they were indifferent to the procession, hundreds of others went out into the streets to watch and listen.
"It's great. Maybe I'd join in if I didn't have to work," travel consultant Henry Nguyen, 29, said as he walked into Sydney's Pitt Street Mall.
"It's a great time to have it, in school holidays so young people can get involved."
Other office workers were reluctant to comment on the inconvenience as they hurried to appointments on foot instead of taxi or bus as Pitt Street and its cross streets were closed.
Sections of the procession appeared more like a football crowd, singing and chanting, while those carrying the cross and the large icon depicting the Virgin Mary were quietly chanting and singing.