BRISBANE Catholics are tying up their shoelaces for the Romero Centre’s annual Welcome Walk.
It is the first major event for the Romero Centre since it was brought under Brisbane archdiocese earlier this year, and the fourth annual walk in the life of the organisation.
Organiser Richard Langford encouraged everyone to come along.
He said it was a lovely walk along the Brisbane River.
It was an opportunity, he said, for people to show their welcome to asylum seekers in the community and to express that everyone has a right to seek safety and security.
The event begins with opening remarks from Brisbane Archbishop Mark Coleridge at 8.30am with the walk scheduled to start at about 8.45am.
The day includes a sausage sizzle, coffee, cultural performances and a variety of market stalls with a finish time of about 11am.
Participants have the option of walking 3km or 6km along the Brisbane River.
The Romero Centre, located on Brisbane’s southside, supports about 300 children and 500 adults every year.
It is a hub for asylum seekers looking for assistance with a range of challenges like children’s counselling, housing, English language courses and employment workshops.
Part of their work includes helping people find shelter, clocking more than 18,000 nights of accommodation last year.
The Romero Centre already had ties to many parishes and religious orders across Brisbane.
Many of the accommodation spots they helped asylum seekers into included parish houses and old convents as well as individuals who offered up houses, granny flats and single rooms.
The Romero Centre was previously operated by Mercy but on July 1, it was brought under the Archdiocese of Brisbane, where it has been supported by Evangelisation Brisbane.
The Romero Centre was founded in 2000 and inspired by the mission of St Oscar Romero.
To register for the walk, head to https://bit.ly/welcomewalk24
