Bishop Bryan Bayda returns for Jubilee Year pilgrimage to Millennium Pro-Life Cross

By Jon Perez, Catholic Saskatoon News

On the Feast of the Exultation of the Holy Cross, hundreds again gathered under the 100-foot cross at the Millennium Cross pilgrimage site north of Aberdeen, SK, to pray and reflect on the sacredness of life—from conception to natural death.

Bishop Bryan Bayda, CSsR, of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Toronto and Eastern Canada, who grew up near the cross site, was the guest speaker. In his address to the crowd Sept. 14, he emphasized and honoured the culture of life, stressing that every person is created in God’s image.

Bayda began his message by inviting people to stand up one at a time, hold a crucifix, and think of the crosses they bear. He then quoted the First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians (1 Cor. 1:18): “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

“The Trinity is a community of love that is God. Each person is perfectly present to the other person. This is eternal life. This is the truth,” he said.

Bishop Bryan Bayda, CSsR, of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Toronto and Eastern Canada was this year’s guest speaker. (Photo by Jon Perez, Catholic Saskatoon News)

“Every human being created in the image and likeness of God has an insatiable desire to be loved and to belong. The greatest desire is to be loved and to belong. Sadly, we are conditioned in this life to think that we can create this environment on our own: to create, that is, a heaven on earth without God. Everyone seeks comfort on earth. Everyone seeks a life of abundance here on earth,” said Bayda.

He added that people should take to heart the message of the sanctity of life, especially in a world that has been questioning the value of life, noting that in reality, life is marked by suffering, and no one escapes suffering. The bishop reminded all those assembled that the cross of Christ transforms suffering.

“When united with Jesus, our pain is no longer meaningless. It becomes redemptive, filled with love that has the power to heal and save. This is the foundation of the pro-life vision: that every life, no matter how fragile, bears infinite worth because Christ has carried the ultimate cross for humanity.”

“The culture of life is not built on policies or slogans alone. It is built when we stand with one another in suffering, when we honour the dignity of every person, and when we let the cross of Christ teach us what love truly means,” said Bayda.

As an example, the bishop pointed to mothers and fathers, to couples who chose life for their children despite facing the hardship of raising their child, and to the elderly, who are sometimes left alone, silently suffering. Honouring the dignity of those who are weak, powerless, or suffering is to honour Jesus Christ himself, he said.

Bayda also shared stories of families caring for children with disabilities, of communities rallying to support those with cancer, and of friends standing beside each other in addiction recovery. These, he said, are modern-day witnesses of the cross. They transform suffering into love, he said, showing that life is precious, not because it is easy, but because it is sacred.

Message from K of C State Deputy

Saskatchewan Knights of Columbus State Deputy Marte Clemente Nogot echoed Bayda’s comments, saying that life is the most basic of human rights; without it, no one can enjoy or protect other rights. Nogot spoke on behalf of the over 10,000 Knights of Columbus members in the province and as part of the Millennium Pro-Life Cross Foundation.

“I stand before you to speak on behalf of those who cannot speak for themselves, the unborn. The culture of life is not just about opposing abortion; it is affirming the value and dignity of every human life, from conception to natural death,” he said.

“Why do we believe in the sanctity of life? Because every life is unique and irreplaceable. From the moment of conception, a new human being begins … with its own DNA, its own potential, and its own future. This is not just a matter of faith or philosophy; it is a scientific fact,” said Nogot.

Priests were available for confession during the pilgrimage, and a living rosary included prayers offered for unborn babies, mothers who have had an abortion, people who are suffering from mental illness, and those who have taken their own lives.

The 100-foot Millennium Pro-Life Cross was raised in 2006, replacing an earlier wooden cross. The monument was first envisioned by local farmer Joseph Bayda, Sr. as a witness to the sanctity of life, and originally supported as a millennium project by the Knights of Columbus council of Sts. Peter and Paul Ukrainian Catholic Parish in Saskatoon. Many others have supported the initiative over the years.
View the live-streamed video – LINK

Photos:

(Left to right:) Knights of Columbus Associate State Chaplain Fr. Bernabe Sajonas, District Deputy Lance LaCroix and State Deputy Marte Nogot at the 2025 Millennium Cross pilgrimage on Sept. 14, 2025. (Photo by Jon Perez, Catholic Saskatoon News)

Ukrainian Catholic Sisters of Saint Joseph were among those praying the living rosary beneath the Pro-Life Millennium Cross at the annual pilgrimage (Photo by Jon Perez, Catholic Saskatoon News)

Statue of the Holy Family at the cross site. (Photo by Jon Perez, Catholic Saskatoon News)

Bishop Bryan Bayda leads the opening prayer. (Photo by Jon Perez, Catholic Saskatoon News)

Participants prayed the living rosary in various languages. (Photo by Jon Perez, Catholic Saskatoon News)

(Photo by Jon Perez, Catholic Saskatoon News)

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Jon Perez is a parishioner at the Cathedral of the Holy Family in Saskatoon. Catholic Saskatoon News is supported by gifts to the Bishop’s Annual Appeal: dscf.ca.

Catholic Saskatoon News is supported by gifts to the Bishop’s Annual Appeal: dscf.ca.