Bill Doyle / The Catholic Free Press
(OSV News) — Carrying a 130-pound wooden cross up Mount Wachusett in central Massachusetts was more than a physical feat for Noah Hajdu — it was to honor Jesus Christ.
To prepare for the June 6 climb, the 23-year-old Sterling resident carried the cross for a mile each of the previous 50 days. He carried the cross up Mount Tammany in New Jersey and in places in Pennsylvania and New York City. Usually, he was by himself.
When he carried it outside Faneuil Hall in Boston, vendors complained, so he was asked to leave. He was accompanied that day by a friend he met on social media, Chad Tene, who dresses up as Red Sox Jesus.
The training helped make his climb up Mount Wachusett a success.
“I was totally prepared for it,” he told The Catholic Free Press, the news outlet of the Diocese of Worcester. “It gets easier when I’m with a group of people. When I’m alone, it’s a little bit harder because I don’t have other people pushing me. But I also think being alone and doing it is more rewarding.”
Climbing mountain barefoot part of training
During training, he climbed up Mount Wachusett wearing a 20-pound vest. Another time, he climbed up barefoot. The training helped the 5-foot-9 Hajdu drop 15 pounds.
Jesus was forced to carry his cross through Jerusalem for his crucifixion after being condemned to death by Pontius Pilate. When was too weak to continue, the Romans forced Simon of Cyrene to help him.
Hadju wanted to carry the cross up the mountain to raise money for the Diocese of Worcester. With a summit elevation of 2,006 feet, Wachusett is the highest point of land in eastern and central Massachusetts.
He met with Father Derek Mobilio, pastor at Our Lady of the Angels Parish and chaplain at Worcester State University, and they decided last winter that he should donate to campus ministry.
While spreading the word about “Operation Carry the Cross” for several months on Instagram and TikTok, Hajdu reached nearly 10 million views.
“That just spread the Gospel that much more, which is unbelievable,” he said.
After climbing Mount Wachusett, Hadju said he had raised about $5,000 and that he’s still accepting donations.
Another climb, a walk planned with cross
He plans to carry the cross up Mount Monadnock in Jaffrey, New Hampshire, probably in July. In addition, he and four others will take turns carrying the cross while taking part in the seven-mile Falmouth Road Race on Aug. 16.
Hajdu said 65 people accompanied him on his climb up Mount Wachusett. He carried the cross up by himself, but others took turns carrying it together down part of the mountain to an area where Father Mobilio used a picnic table as an altar while he celebrated Mass.
“The cross was on my back the entire time without hitting the ground,” Hajdu said.
When he reached the top, what he described as “a giant barn owl” flew by, stopped on a stick and stared at everyone and then flew away before anyone could take any photos.
“Honestly, that was a sign to me,” he said. “I’m never going to forget that moment.”
Priest carried 15-pound altar stone
Father Mobilio followed Hajdu up the mountain and carried a 15-pound altar stone in his backpack to use during the Mass.
“It was awesome,” Father Mobilio said. “We were blessed with great weather. Noah took the cross all the way to the summit, which was a beautiful witness to all the people who were just on the mountain for exercise.”
At Mass, Hajdu was finally able to relax as he sat down on the grass for the first outdoor liturgy he had ever attended. The only sound that could be heard in the background was dragon flies flying around.
“Honestly, I think it was the best Mass I’ve ever been to,” Hajdu said.
Father Mobilio offered the Votive Mass of the Mystery of the Holy Cross.
Preached about virtue of fortitude
“One highlight for me,” Father Mobilio said, “was the opportunity to preach to many non-Catholic Christians who joined us. I preached about the virtue of fortitude and if we really want to follow Christ by taking up our crosses every day, this demands that we participate in the holy Mass, since the Mass is the sacrifice of Calvary.”
Hajdu’s parents, Charlie and Kim, his brother Jake, and friends accompanied him up the mountain. His maternal grandparents were driven up.
In January, Hajdu and his father built the cross out of Douglas fir in four hours.The cross stands 12 feet high and the horizontal cross beam is 6 feet long.
During the climb, he kept switching the 130-pound cross from one shoulder to the other.
“It was kind of peaceful,” he said. “I spoke with a couple of people on my way up there and I had some conversations, but people kind of let me go and do it. This whole journey has been really rewarding. I’ve met people that I would have never met through this.”
Those who climbed with Hajdu urged him on and congratulated him when he reached the top.
‘The cross of our Savior’
“I don’t really like praise,” he told The Catholic Free Press. “My goal wasn’t ever to have someone tell me congratulations. It was more just to make the physical feat of carrying a 130-pound cross up a mountain, but it’s a lot more than that because it was the cross of our Savior. I think that was the most rewarding part, not the congratulations at the end, which I didn’t even really want to receive, but I did want those people there.”
The day after his climb Hajdu took part in only his second game for the Acushnet Aztecs of the Cranberry Baseball League after not playing baseball for three years due to a knee injury. He hit a walk-off single to give the Aztecs a 3-2 victory over the Rockland Cardinals.
He’s convinced that Jesus played a role in his successful comeback.
“Maybe he’s just allowing me to play baseball again,” he said, “now that I’ve accomplished what I have for him.”
Hajdu played baseball for St. John’s High School in Shrewsbury, the Winchendon School and Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania, before two surgeries on his left knee for a torn patella tendon sidelined him after his freshman year. For his last three years at Lafayette, he assisted the baseball coaching staff.
He worked hard on getting his knee back in shape for two and a half years, but the knee didn’t improve until he began training to carry the cross up Mount Wachusett.
Bill Doyle is a correspondent for The Catholic Free Press, the news outlet of the Diocese of Worcester. This story was originally published by The Catholic Free Press and distributed through a partnership with OSV News.
