world youth day in full swing

This year, 74 pilgrims will travel with the Armidale Diocese to attend World Youth Day (WYD), in Lisbon, Portugal, joining an estimated three million youth for a celebration of our Catholic faith.

The pilgrims’ journey begins on the 22nd of July, visiting Rome, Assisi, Fatima, Lisbon, Lourdes and Paris. The group, along with chaplains Fr Damien Locke, Fr Kingsley Etoh and Fr Roel Llave, have been gathering regularly to prepare, meeting up in person almost every month and fortnightly over zoom.

During these sessions, there is a recurring theme: this is a pilgrimage, not a holiday. On pilgrimage there are lots of opportunities to step out of your comfort zone, and as the late Pope Benedict XVI said: “The world offers you comfort. But you were not made for comfort, you were made for greatness.”

WYD also offers young people the opportunity to make friends in the faith. For many young Catholics it’s not always easy to live out their faith, and many struggle with loneliness. WYD is a reminder that no one is alone in their faith journey, and that there are so many beautiful things about being Catholic!

We spoke to three of the pilgrims and they shared why they decided to go and what their hopes are for WYD (cont. on page 2...)