MAROON-wearing World Youth Day pilgrims from Queensland formed their own State of Origin side last Sunday afternoon spilling out onto the steps of Brisbane’s St Stephen’s Cathedral following a Commissioning Mass before they head for Madrid next month.
The pilgrims, part of the largest-ever contingent of Queenslanders to head abroad for a World Youth Day event, shared the Mass with a large number of family members and supporters.
Archbishop John Bathersby of Brisbane celebrated the Mass with Bishop Joseph Oudeman and other priests and deacons who will also travel to Madrid for the event which runs from August 16 to 21.
He told those gathered he was “delighted” to be present and that “over the years” he had travelled with “marvellous groups of young people from the Archdiocese of Brisbane, and others from Queensland to Rome, to Toronto, to Cologne, to Sydney, and now Madrid”.
Many of the pilgrims before Mass had also attended the last of five formation days and final briefing session, this one being held at the Francis Rush Centre.
There are 218 pilgrims travelling from Queensland as part of a contingent of more than 3000 Australians heading for Madrid.
The Queensland cohort has 100 more pilgrims than the largest previous group to travel aboard.
Brisbane Catholic Education Office, the Emmanuel Community, St Vincent de Paul Society as well as Rockhampton and Townsville dioceses will have pilgrimage groups.
The Queensland pilgrims will be accompanied by Archbishop Bathersby, Bishops Oudeman and Michael Putney, eight priests and two deacons – a significant increase in clergy numbers over previous World Youth Day events.
A total of 24 bishops and 111 priests will accompany Australian pilgrims.
Archbishop Bathersby, in his homily, asked those present: “Will you be travelling as individuals?
“Of course not,” he said.
“Because you will be going with large numbers of young Australian men and women who may become your permanent friends forever.
“Not only will you mix with Aussies but also you will mix with millions of young people from all over the world, speaking languages some of which you will know, others which you won’t.”
Archbishop Bathersby said the opportunity provided by Madrid’s World Youth Day celebrations to see Pope Benedict XVI would be “an enormous thrill” but there was a much more significant meeting in store.
“The greatest meeting you will ever value is not so much your contact with the Pope but above all your meeting with Jesus Christ,” he said.
“More than anything else, the pilgrimage we will make is a pilgrimage to find out who we are, and what we can do with our lives, in the comparatively short time God has given to us …
“The vast majority of young people are going to World Youth Day to discover themselves, but above all to discover Jesus Christ because Jesus wants us to follow in His footsteps.
“Spain will be a pilgrimage you will never forget.”
