WITH one month to go before the great pilgrimage to Rio, Brisbane Archbishop Mark Coleridge commissioned more than 50 World Youth Day pilgrims at St Stephen’s Cathedral on June 16.
The majority of pilgrims live within the Brisbane archdiocese, but the group has also welcomed residents from Toowoomba, Rockhampton and Sydney.
They are a quaint mix of teachers, youth ministry co-ordinators, an engineer, musicians, students and a telemarketing manager.
Pilgrims from Canberra-Goulburn will also join the Brisbane archdiocese group, but were unable to attend the commissioning Mass.
That makes a total of 48 pilgrims in the Brisbane archdiocese pilgrimage.
In his homily, the Archbishop reflected on the lack of hospitality shown by Simon the Pharisee in contrast to the extravagant hospitality shown by the woman who entered the house, in the Gospel passage of the day (Luke 7:36-8:3).
Archbishop Coleridge said the WYD pilgrims had a great opportunity to show true Christianity in an “inhospitable world”.
After the commissioning Mass, he addressed the pilgrims for one last time before meeting again in Rio.
He left them with one question in preparation for their pilgrimage: “What was God’s purpose in my life in asking me to journey to Rio?”
“You are here because God wants you to be here, and God wants you to go to Rio,” he said.
“If it’s true then, there’s a purpose in it all, which you only see in looking back.”
Archbishop Coleridge also reminded pilgrims to imagine new ways to “go beyond yourselves” while on pilgrimage to Rio.
“If it’s only about personal enrichment, forget it; it’s not worth going,” he said. “We can’t turn inwards – we’ve got to go out.”
The pilgrims will begin their journey to Rio early on July 16. They will fly first to Santiago, Chile, for a pre-WYD immersion experience organised by the St Columban’s Mission Society, to meet with the local parish in the poorest areas of Chile.
From Chile, pilgrims will continue to Rio for World Youth Day and return on August 2.
The Catholic Leader will have daily updates, news, video footage and audio clips direct from Chile and Rio via The Catholic Leader website and social media platforms.
