Me and my family, my dear husband, Jocelyn, and our two daughters, Genevieve, who is 10 years, and Katia, our youngest, who is 8 years old, were present on January 9, 2002 at the cenotaph of Kapyong Barracks at 1900 hours, led by the 2 PPCLI chaplain, Padre Brad Busch, and Padre Guy Chapdelaine. We were all united to welcome the Cross for World Youth Day to Winnipeg, Manitoba. On that incredible night we were able to feel the presence of our Lord surrounding us all when the Cross arrived. We heard His words and His angels were singing through our voices. We ended by singing the beautiful song "Amazing Grace". It was so overwhelming at that special moment, with all our voices blending together, staring at the Cross in the moonlight.

When Padre Guy Chapdelaine asked me to write this article I wondered! How could I explain to others the honour that I felt, of being among those who were there? The night of the arrival of the Cross? I spent days and days thinking about it. Then, everything seemed so clear to me. The answer was my true faith in the Lord, who was able to help me write this article. Anyone who has faith knows exactly what I mean.

On January 9, 2002 at 1900 hours we were all overwhelmed by the sight of the Cross. Some of us touched it, others kissed it. Me and my family all put one hand on the Cross and started to pray. I was saying how special and honoured for us to be there that night. And then we prayed to our Lord to help us to be a strong family and a loving one. And we prayed to our Lord to help us keep our faith strong. We know that nobody is perfect and He knows that too. But with our faith in Him and with His help we can be so much more.

You could say that it was just a big piece of wood! Or even say that we eat bread and drink wine at church! But for those who have faith, it means so much more. The Cross reminds us of the death of our Lord for our own sins or reminds us of His resurrection to life from the dead. Like we believe we eat the body of our Lord and we drink His blood at church. That is the true meaning of faith. That night, the Cross may have meant "Peace in the world one day" or it may have meant "Hope and love" for others. That is what amazes us all! That Cross can mean anything that we need in our hearts. You just need to have true faith in you. I can explain what it meant for myself. It meant "Peace in the world one day". And I prayed to still be alive to see it happening. That is the reason why that Cross is so important to our youth. They are our future, our hope of a better life. One day, the world will be theirs and hopefully this pilgrimage through the world, crossing and traversing continents, will help our youth to make of this world a world of peace!

Special thank you to Padre Guy Chapdelaine for his faith in me!
Josée Labranche