Cross of Gratitude, originally from Ukraine, makes a stop in Wantagh's St. Frances de Chantal Roman Catholic Church

Vitaliy Sobolivsky, of Ukraine, claimed to have heard these words spoken to him all the way back in 2003, after he had carved a life-sized cross — “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.”

It then became Sobolivsky’s mission to see this through. Blessed by all of the last three Popes — John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis — the cross has been on a mission to visit all of the capital cities of the world by 2033. As of now, it has been to 46 capitals in Europe and is currently on its tour through the United States.

Relying on the goodwill of the locals wherever it goes, the cross’s most recent stop was at St. Frances de Chantal Roman Catholic Church in Wantagh.

The week of April 1 — Holy Week for Catholics — it was in the church’s main building. The cross was honored in a special veneration on April 7, which is “Good Friday” for Catholics.