During this Jubilee year when all Catholics are being encouraged to take at least one pilgrimage, often the biggest decision will be which ones to take.
In the Parramatta Diocese, Bishop Vincent Long OFM Conv is encouraging pilgrims to visit the three designated shrines within the Diocese – St Patrick’s Cathedral, Parramatta; Mount Schoenstatt Shrine, Mulgoa; and the Franciscan Shrine of the Holy Innocents, Kellyville.
But for those who are also looking for a pilgrimage outside Sydney, Saints Peter & Paul’s Old Cathedral at Goulburn is only about 90 minutes drive south.
The beautiful, meticulously restored 19th century building is unique and historically important, but it also offers pilgrims many ways to have an intimate encounter with Christ, said Fr Tony Percy, from the Old Cathedral’s Restoration Committee.
“It’s not as big as some of the cathedrals in Melbourne and Sydney but it’s got an intimacy about it and a beauty about it that’s really quite striking,” he said. “And it’s very well located, about an hour and half from Sydney; it’s ideal for the Jubilee Year 2025.”
Saints Peter & Paul’s is unique for being the only church in the world built from greenstone, which was quarried just outside the city and thought to be 440 million years old.
Construction began on the building in 1872, at a time when Goulburn was growing rapidly. It remained a cathedral until 1973, when St Christopher’s in Canberra was made the sole cathedral of the Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn. The Old Cathedral is now a church in Mary Queen of Apostles Parish.
Fr Tony said of particular interest to pilgrims are the 19th century French Stations of the Cross, which are three-dimensional and have exquisite colours. “The figure of Christ in them is highlighted with a gold halo and that makes them really attractive to pilgrims,” he said.
Another highlight is a more recent statue of Mary, Protectoress of Families, which is surrounded by 10 icons – from the washing of Christ’s feet through to the resurrection of Christ – called the ‘Way of the Family’. Fr Tony said both the ‘Way of the Family’ and the Stations of the Cross have audio recordings to accompany them, helping pilgrims to reflect and pray.
He said other aspects of the Old Cathedral that would be of interest to pilgrims include two beautifully constructed confessionals, stained-glass windows behind the high altar that feature the Four Mysteries of the Rosary, as well as a Hill & Son organ that is “one of the best in Australia” and which pilgrims can hear during Mass in the historic building.
“It is Jubilee Year 2025, with the theme of hope and I think the building itself really lends itself to that message,” Fr Tony said.
“The Old Cathedral was chosen [as a shrine] because it offered so many possibilities for a pilgrimage. Whether they’re in large groups or smaller groups, or just an individual pilgrimage, it’s set up to help people have an encounter with Christ through the beauty of the building.”
To book your pilgrimage at the Old Cathedral, located on the corner of Verner and Bourke streets, Goulburn, contact 0403 631 797, or email goulburn@cg.org.au
To find out more about pilgrimages within the Diocese of Parramatta and the Jubilee Year, please visit https://parracatholic.org/jubilee