TWO leaders have been putting in the hard yards to share the message of Caritas Australia across the north of the state.
Chief executive officer Kirsty Robertson and advancement director Richard Landels completed an epic 700km bicycle ride from Cairns to Townsville, touring and greeting Catholic schools and parishes along the way.
The journey started on Sunday, April 16, when the duo set out from St Monica’s Cathedral, Cairns and finished on April 23 at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Townsville, where they were greeted by Townsville Bishop Tim Harris before joining the Mass.
During the ride, Ms Robertson and Mr Landels made pit stops in various towns including Mareeba, Herberton, Atherton, Ravenshoe, Gordonvale, Innisfail, Silkwood, and Ingham, where they met with local school students and parishioners to share stories of how Caritas Australia and its partners are working to support communities around the world.
Last year, the two completed a similar trip from Sydney to Melbourne and said it was an enriching experience.
Caritas Australia is the Catholic Church’s international aid and development agency in Australia.
They are committed to working alongside the most vulnerable and addressing the imbalance of power by including the people affected in the decisions impacting their lives.
“The ride is one thing but as always, it’s the people along the way that have made this journey special. It’s such a blessing to make new friends and meet new people and spread the word about Caritas Australia,” Ms Robertson said.
“We’re filled with gratitude to the amazing people we have met on this journey, that have shown us deep hospitality.
“These people are our Australian supporters in Churches and schools across Australia who join together and say – this is not the world that God intended, and I want to create a more just world.”
“Through their generosity, the lives of the millions of people across the world have been impacted through Caritas Australia. People like Laxmi, a young girl from Nepal who featured in this year’s Project Compassion story.
“And Mali, a woman we met in Ethiopia last year, a mum struggling to provide food and water for her children in the drought.”
