A year after it first “set sail”, the Migrant Jubilee Cross travelled throughout the Darwin Diocese in October, bringing parish communities together in prayer, reflection and solidarity with migrants and refugees.
An initiative of the Australian Catholic Migrant and Refugee Office (ACMRO), the cross has been travelling through dioceses across Australia since October 2025 as a visible sign of faith, hope and welcome.
Crafted from Australian recycled timber and set on a boat-shaped base, the pilgrimage of the cross invites Catholics to reflect on the experiences of people who leave their homelands in search of safety, opportunity and a place to belong.
The cross carries sacred relics associated with the Holy Family and St Mary MacKillop, offering a special opportunity for prayer and veneration. It is a reminder of the Holy Family’s own experience of displacement and their flight into Egypt, and of the Christian responsibility to welcome strangers and accompany those who are vulnerable.
The Darwin leg of the pilgrimage began on October 11, at St Mary’s Star of the Sea Cathedral, where parishioners gathered for Mass and veneration of the cross.
It was a deeply moving beginning, with many people approaching the cross in moments of silent prayer, offering written intentions and shedding tears.
These personal moments of faith reflected the many stories of migration, separation, sacrifice, hope and gratitude carried within our communities.
The cathedral also provided an opportunity for further veneration following the evening Mass, allowing more people to spend time in prayer before the Cross.
Following its opening celebration, the Migrant Jubilee Cross travelled to several parishes across Darwin and surrounding communities.
At each stop, the cross offered an opportunity for parish communities to come together in faith, recognising the diverse cultural backgrounds, traditions and experiences that enrich the Church in the Northern Territory.
The Migrant Jubilee Cross carries a message that is particularly meaningful for the Darwin Diocese, which is home to people from many nations, cultures and languages. Migrants and refugees have contributed greatly to the life of its parishes, schools, ministries and wider communities, bringing with them their faith, traditions, gifts and experiences.
The cross invites people to recognise these contributions while remembering those who continue to experience uncertainty, displacement, separation from loved ones and the challenges of beginning life in a new country.
FULL STORY
Migrant Jubilee Cross: A Journey of Faith, Hope and Prayer Across the Diocese of Darwin (Darwin Diocese)
