THE city’s traditional illuminated cross will continue to shine across Warrnambool in a unanimous show of support from a church congregation.
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The festive cross is expected to be erected on the Uniting Church in Koroit Street next week after being banished from a water tower in the city’s west.
Wannon Water agreed to remove the cross after a single complaint from resident Graham Keith, who claimed it was “religious advertising” and had no place on public property.
The authority had previously agreed that Warrnambool City Council could use the Victoria Square water tower for the large cross after its was removed from its original location on the Fletcher Jones factory silver ball in October.
The ball, which hosted the display for 43 years, was declared by engineers to be structurally unsound.
Uniting Church minister Reverend Doctor Elizabeth Nolan said her congregation’s decision to host the cross was part of its contribution to the community.
“We were very disappointed by the heated dispute in the community,’’ Dr Nolan said yesterday.
“The majority of the community comes from the Christian tradition and Easter and Christmas are important traditional times.
“An empty cross is an important symbol of God’s love for the world and that Jesus is the light of the world.
“It’s important the community receives the light of Christ.
"It gives hope to people and it reminds them of God’s love.
“I’m sad people in the community don’t want to be reminded of that.”
Dr Nolan said a city council employee, who was also a church member, had asked if the congregation would consider allowing the cross to be erected on the tower. She said Sir Fletcher Jones had strong links with the Uniting Church.
He was a practising Methodist and he also operated his business from a shop beside the original church near the corner of Liebig and Koroit streets in the late 1920s.
He decided to install the cross on the silver ball when it was constructed in 1967.
“It’s an important symbol and we’re happy to put it up in memory of Fletcher Jones and in reference to the community.”
Dr Nolan said an engineering assessment had shown the church tower was suitable for the cross which was likely to go up next week.
Dr Nolan said the cross would be a permanent fixture and would probably be illuminated from the first Sunday of advent in early December until Pentecost, which is the 50th day after Easter Sunday.
Warrnambool mayor Jacinta Ermacora could not be contacted by The Standard yesterday.
malexander@standard.fairfax.com.au
