The exhibition A Pilgrim’s Rest, 2025, a collection of crosses made by local artist David Krsticevic using materials such as driftwood, rusted metal and shells, is now on display at Our Lady’s Home of Compassion as part of a series of pilgrimage-themed displays being held throughout this Jubilee Year of Pilgrimage, the Year of Pilgrims of Hope.

Krsticevic, a local artist who spent most of his life in Australia but has lived in Wellington for the past seven years, gathered the materials from the South Coast of Wellington. He draws inspiration from artists such as Roberto Cipollone (Ciro), who runs the Bottega di Ciro, an artisan workshop in Loppiano, near Florence.

Ciro uses rusted metal and old wood together to express harmony, beauty and warmth. Inspired by this approach and exploring the potential of found materials, Krsticevic began making crosses from driftwood collected at Makara Beach. The project grew into a community event, with Krsticevic inviting feedback and running cross-making workshops.

Krsticevic’s own faith journey led to a fascination with the person of Jesus and how God allowed himself to suffer and die for us.

While in Italy, Krsticevic heard a woman speak about suffering as an untapped resource in life – something that can be transformed into ‘little resurrections’ of love, expressed through small acts of kindness for others. The crosses reflect the everyday encounter with Jesus, who meets us in the daily struggles of life with love and these small resurrections of hope.

The crosses displayed in this exhibition will be placed in the accommodation rooms at Our Lady’s Home of Compassion as a touchpoint reminder of God’s presence—inviting pilgrims to rest, reflect, contemplate, and pray.

We warmly invite you to visit the exhibition, on display until 8 June 2025, and explore this unique and inspiring collection.

If you would like to take a cross home, Krsticevic’s crosses will soon be available in our gift shop. All proceeds will be shared between the Focolare Movement’s fundraising efforts for earthquake relief in Myanmar and the Compassion Soup Kitchen on Tory Street.