Tassie pilgrims excited and ready for Lisbon
By Catherine Sheehan
The 35 young pilgrims from around Tasmania who will be heading to Lisbon, Portugal, for World Youth Day next month came together for their final preparatory retreat on Saturday 1 July in New Town.
This was the first opportunity for the Archdiocesan pilgrims to come together with the pilgrims from Catholic Education Tasmania.
Director of the Office of Youth Evangelisation, Sam Clear, said the primary focus of the day was on “building community and rapport amongst pilgrims”.
“Every pilgrim is at a different point,” Mr Clear said. “Some are very excited. Some are very nervous. For a lot of pilgrims this will be their first overseas trip, so being immersed into a different culture will be an adventure in and of itself.”
Archbishop Julian celebrated Mass for the pilgrims and spoke on the theme of the retreat – “The Great Announcement; God’s Love” – a theme which had been requested by Pope Francis.
The pilgrims got to know each other throughout the day as they spent time in prayer and engaged in various activities including painting Pilgrim Scallop Shells, writing a Pilgrim chant, learning the WYD song, and painting their own WYD banner.
They also learnt about the more practical aspects of the trip such as safety guidelines and what to pack.
Pilgrim Ruby Prichard from the Kingston Parish said she was looking forward to “being surrounded by other vibrant Catholic youth” and “meeting people who are my age and share my faith from all over the world”.
“I decided to make the pilgrimage to WYD as the next step in my faith journey,” she said. “I see the trip as an opportunity to form connections with the historical roots of the Church, and to experience some of the beauty the pilgrim sites have to offer.”
John Villalba from the Cathedral Parish said he had “jumped at the chance” to attend WYD and hoped to witness “the Catholic faith and tradition come alive through different cultures”.
“Personally, I think I’m at a pivotal stage in my life,” he said. “And what better way to look toward and beyond the horizon than to take on a pilgrimage!”
Mr Clear said the pilgrims had a lot to look forward to at WYD in Lisbon.
“World Youth Day provides an atmosphere that many young Tasmanians don’t get to experience – a number of the pilgrims are the only young adult at their Sunday Mass, for example,” he said.
“It is incredible to be at a faith event that is also so incredibly fun, adventurous and life-giving. Sitting down with thousands of others to do catechesis, before heading to Mass with a few million is a life-altering experience.”
He also emphasised that the trip was primarily a spiritual pilgrimage focused on God.
“The focus is Jesus. We aren’t travelling as tourists, nor are we looking for the ultimate Instagram photo. We are travelling as pilgrims and there is always a sense of penance in travelling as a pilgrim. We travel with Christ in order to be changed.”
The Archdiocesan WYD pilgrimage group will depart Hobart on 27 July, spending three days in Rome before heading to Lisbon for the week-long WYD celebrations. They will also spend three days on retreat in Fatima before returning to Hobart on 12 August.
