Life-sized crucifix blessed by 3 popes now available to visit in Jersey City
Thanking Cross at Holy Rosary Church through mid-May
A nearly life-sized crucifix that has been blessed by three popes and numerous other clergy during an ongoing global pilgrimage will be on display at Holy Rosary Church in Jersey City through mid-May.
All are invited to visit or pray before the Thanking Cross — also known as the Cross of Gratitude — before it moves to the next city in its journey of uniting Christians to give thanks to God for Jesus’ death and resurrection. The crucifix is on display in the church from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Guests are welcome to take photos.
“We’re blessed to have the Thanking Cross,” said Father Jurek R. Zaslona, pastor of Holy Rosary Church. “It gives us a chance to thank God for what Jesus did to save us from our sins. Besides that, there are so many things we take for granted that we should be thankful for. I hope people show their gratitude and have a beautiful, spiritual experience venerating this cross.”
Father Zaslona also encourages parishioners to pray for Ukraine before the Thanking Cross since the crucifix originated in the war-torn nation.
“The Thanking Cross reminds us that we should be thankful we live in peace here in the United States,” Father Zaslona said. “Ukraine is an innocent country being brutalized, just as Jesus was scourged and crucified. But we don’t have that violence here. We can’t take that for granted.”
The Thanking Cross was carved in Lviv, Ukraine, by Vitaliy Sobolivsky. Sobolivsky claims he heard a voice on Easter Sunday in 2003 say to him, “Take my Cross and carry it to all the capital cities of the world as a sign of gratitude for the salvation we receive through Jesus Christ.”
After it was blessed by Pope John Paul II in 2004, the crucifix began a pilgrimage to visit every capital city in the world by 2033, the 2,000th anniversary of Christ’s crucifixion. To date, it has visited more than 46 capitals and major cities throughout Europe and North America.
Along the way, countless people of varied cultures and faiths have carried the Thanking Cross on their shoulders in support of its mission. Host parishes also have celebrated it during Masses, processions, vigils, and adorations. Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis blessed the crucifix in 2006 and 2016, respectively.
Holy Rosary Church will hold a procession in which parishioners will carry the crucifix around the church before handing it off to representatives of North Bergen’s Our Lady of Fatima Church for display at their parish. It will later be displayed at St. Joseph of the Palisades Church in West New York, NJ. Dates for those exhibitions have yet to be determined.
The Thanking Cross will eventually be transported to locations in North, Central, and South America before eventually moving on to Asia, Africa, and Australia. Its global pilgrimage is facilitated entirely by the goodwill of volunteers.
To learn more about the Thanking Cross and Holy Rosary Church, visit www.holyrosarychurch.com.
Featured image: All are invited to pray before the Thanking Cross while it still resides at Holy Rosary Church in Jersey City. (Photo courtesy of Holy Rosary Church)
