BRISBANE Catholic families and organisations rallied to help hundreds of World Youth Day pilgrims from the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea stranded after flight plans for the trip home went awry.
Brisbane archdiocesan WYD08 communications and marketing manager Bernadette Kreutzer said accommodation and meals had been needed for almost 1000 of the pilgrims.
More than 400 of these pilgrims from the Solomon Islands had been sent on from Sydney to connect with flights in Brisbane which were not immediately available.
Many of the remaining 500 or so pilgrims from Papua New Guinea were also sent up from Sydney to catch flights in Brisbane after several Air Niugini flights were cancelled due to “unavoidable circumstances”.
“The community is to be praised for the way they rallied to support their informal guests on their unexpected arrival back in Brisbane,” Ms Kreutzer said.
“A large percentage of the pilgrims from the Solomon Islands were able to receive emergency accommodation and hospitality at Australian Catholic University, Banyo, and the Rosalie parish hall.”
Ms Kreutzer said about 200 of the PNG pilgrims, who had also arrived in Brisbane early in the week, had been accommodated at Marymount College at Burleigh Heads on the Gold Coast.
“Quite a few also managed to fly out on Thursday after being put up by homes throughout the (Brisbane) East Deanery.
“Many of their hosts said it was a very easy task and a pleasure to reinvite the pilgrims back into their homes.”
Ms Kreutzer also paid tribute to local business which she said had “worked in tirelessly with the Church to ensure that all pilgrims were taken care of”.
“I must also recognise the extraordinary effort put in by Fran Byrne the archdiocesan WYD08 guest management project officer,” she said.
Bishop Tony Burgess of Wewak in Papua New Guinea phoned The Catholic Leader from Sydney to correct media reports which he believed indicated Air Niugini had “somehow let the pilgrims down”.
“I have nothing but praise for the way this airline has helped our pilgrims both in Sydney and when they are arriving back in Papua New Guinea.”
