The Mission of the Cross of Gratitude
THE MISSION OF THANKSGIVINGS CROSS TO ALL CAPITALS OF THE WORLD IN THANKS TO THE LORD GOD FOR OUR SALVATION.
Good evening, my name is Vitaliy Sobolivka. The Thanking Cross, also known as the Cross of Gratitude, was carved in Lviv, Ukraine after a calling I received on Easter Sunday, in 2003. The words I heard said “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. The mission has been blessed by three popes. In 2004, the mission and its initiators were blessed by Pope John Paul Il at the Vatican. In 2006 it was blessed by Pope Benedict XVI during a pilgrimage to Krakow, Poland and again in 2012 at the Vatican in Roma. Pope Francis blessed the Cross in 2016 at the Vatican. The mission of the Cross of Gratitude is dedicated to the 2000th jubilee of the Crucifixion, death and resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ to be celebrated in the year 2033 and to visit all capitals of the world with the hope of uniting all nations of the world into one family before the Cross of Jesus Christ, who suffered for every one of us.
The Cross is carved from Ukrainian oak and weighs approximately 800 pounds. Its pilgrimage has taken it to 46 capitals throughout Eastern and Western Europe including Lviv, Kiev, Warsaw, Prague, Vienna, Brussels, Stockholm, Vilnius, Madrid, Dublin, Copenhagen, Helsinki, Bern, Zagreb, Andorra la Vella, Lisbon, Oslo, Athens, Reykjavik, Rome, Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, London, Vatican. It has been visited by King Albert Il of Belgium, the President of Poland – Andrzej Duda and the President of Latvia. While in the United States, the Cross has visited The Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington, D.C., and Ukrainian Catholic National Shrine of the Holy Family. St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York, Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul in Philadelphia, also churches in Chicago and New Jersey.
Future pilgrimages are hoped for, to travel to Canada, Central and South Americas and then on to Asia, Africa, Indonesia and Australia, covering an additional 160 capitals.
Since the beginning of the Cross of Gratitude’s pilgrimage, it has been carried by men and women of many faiths, including Christian, Protestant, Orthodox, Muslim and Buddhist.
Our wish is that all people give thanks to God for what Jesus did for us. We take so many things for granted that we should be thankful for, and I hope that we show our gratitude for what has been done for us. We pray for peace all over the world.
Along with my team, we have entrusted the Cross Gratitude’s pilgrimage to Divine Providence. We rely on the goodwill of local people to host the Cross and help its journey to the next location.
We pray that God Bless all of you and especially want to thank all spiritual and secular persons for their help in the mission of Thanking Cross in All Capitals in The World!
A Pilgrimage with a Cross of Gratitude to all Capital of the World
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church 