Papal Cross - Drogheda Co Louth Ireland
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Windsocker
N 53° 45.291 W 006° 22.993
29U E 672517 N 5959424
The only papal visit to Ireland ever began on Saturday, September 29th 1979 this cross was erected for the mass that was said at the location.
Waymark Code: WM390A
Location: Ireland
Date Posted: 02/28/2008
Views: 36
It was said that over half Ireland's population attended one or more papal gatherings. A plaque at the base of the papal cross in Knock described the visit as "the most important event in Irish history since the coming of St Patrick''.
An abstract from the diary of Bishop J Magee
Your Holiness, members of the Papal Entourage, ladies and gentlemen, please return to your seats and fasten your seatbelts in preparation for landing at Dublin Airport". These words, spoken on the jumbo jet "Saint Patrick" on Saturday the 29th September 1979, sent an emotional ripple up my spine as I watched the Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, turn away from the window to return to his seat. He had been watching with admiration and blessing with enthusiasm the vast concourse of people gathered below us in Phoenix Park. As he turned back to go to his seat I said to him: "Holy Father, welcome to my country, welcome to Ireland". His Holiness looked at me and with deep emotion in his voice said: "I thank God for enabling me to fulfill a long held desire to visit Ireland".
As we stepped out of the plane at Dublin Airport into a sunny but windy day and the Holy Father went on his knees to kiss the land of Ireland, there began, what later became known as, "The Alleluia Weekend of Ireland". That weekend unfolded as those short few days opened the heart of the Irish Nation to welcome the Vicar of Christ and he himself gave his all in every encounter in every celebration, in every speech and homily. From his Eucharist celebration in Phoenix Park with over one and a quarter million people where the theme was "It's the Mass that matters" he went to Drogheda where on bended knees he appealed to those engaged in violence: "I beg you to turn away from the paths of violence and to return to the ways of peace". The encounter in Drogheda left a great impression on the Holy Father and has remained in his memory ever since. Recently I had the privilege of being invited to his table in the Vatican and he reminisced with me on the many Papal visits we had made together. Then he rightly said that for me the most memorable visit would have been that to Ireland. Suddenly he put me this question: "What did they do with the Drogheda Cross?" I was astonished. In the meantime the Holy Father has traveled over the whole world several times and has completed more than one hundred pastoral visits abroad and yet he would remember Drogheda and its Cross. I recalled on the occasion of his visit to the venue, north of Drogheda, on that first day of his visit the Holy Father took time to look at the large Celtic Cross that had been erected above the podium and, on that occasion, he said to me: "I wonder what will they do with this Cross?" Some twenty-two years later he asked me that very question again. I told him that it had been erected on the side of the main road from Dublin to Belfast and I said that he would be most welcome to return and pay a visit to it. He replied immediately: "I would dearly wish to but on one condition that I would continue on the road to Belfast".
Type of cross: Celtic cross
Material used: Metal (steel, bronze, aluminium, ...)
Characteristics of this cross:
The cross is made of stainless steel tubing and is mounted on a stone base.
Describe the location:
The Cross is located on a small purpose built platform beside the old Dublin to Belfast road
just outside Drogheda Co Louth Ireland.
Year of manufacture: 01/01/1979
Is this cross commemorative ?: Yes
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Visit Instructions:
Post at least one photograph of this cross.