Media Release
Brisbane, Mar 1: The Mangalorean Catholic Association of Brisbane (MCAB) organized their annual Lenten Station of the Cross on February 25 at Marian Valley, a beautiful shrine dedicated to Our Lady. It was a great day for the community as families and friends came together to walk in the footsteps of the Lord as they prepared themselves for Easter.
The day began with holy Mass at the shrine of Our Lady Help of Christians located in Marian valley. Following the Eucharist, the members joined together to walk the stations of the cross.
One of the most beautiful and inspiring aspects of Marian Valley is the outdoor Stations of the Cross with their life-size figures. The stations amidst nature ensured all pilgrims were moved with humility, and devotion. The statues were first installed on February 2004 and the MCAB community was fortunate to have stations of the cross conducted on its 20th anniversary week.
The committee members of MCAB welcomed everyone who were able to join in on the day. All families shared the responsibility of reciting the prayer at each station. The prayers and hymns were a mix between English and Konkani. Along with the prayer and procession, they also had community members enacting some important characters and moments from each station. The characters added a meaningful depth to the entire experience and also kept the young ones engaged throughout the journey.
After the Stations of the Cross, the community met at the final statue which depicted the resurrection of Jesus for a final group picture.
After the procession, they also shared a community lunch and gathering at the Marian Valley lawns. The committee thanks all members who took time out to cook and bring a plate of vegetarian food to share. They were blessed to have a lovely team of volunteers who helped set up and guide people through lunch.
Throughout the weekend, they had alerts of storms and heavy rainfall looming. Miraculously, they did not get any rain throughout the proceedings and got a pleasant shower after the homely lunch. It was a perfect example to testify that through faith, anything is possible.
The children truly loved the experience and are eager to enact as various characters the Stations of the Cross next year.
The MCAB committee was thanked for organizing an engaging yet spiritual event on the road to Easter.