As World Youth Day pilgrims from the Diocese of Parramatta prepare to depart, a new website following the pilgrimage has been launched to follow the pilgrim’s progress.
The website – parrawyd.org – features pilgrim profiles, videos, photos and daily blog updates and gives family, friends and pilgrim supporters the chance to share in moments of the pilgrimage.
The 171 pilgrims from the Diocese of Parramatta will visit three countries on an 18-day pilgrimage. A detailed itinerary is available at parrawyd.org. Highlights include:
- Visits to ancient Churches and Pyramids in Mexico.
- Experiences of the Church’s mission in Puebla, shared with Mexican youth.
- A day of pilgrimage to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, with Mass celebrated at the Basilica by Bishop Vincent Long OFM Conv and concelebrated by Most Rev Peter Comensoli, Archbishop of Melbourne.
- The Panama Canal and the Old City
- An all-Australian Gathering
- Stations of the Cross through Panama City
- The sleep-out vigil with half a million young people before the final Mass with Pope Francis.
- 2 days of retreat and reflection at an American summer camp in Houston, Texas.
Daily blogs will be posted by pilgrims on the ground in Mexico, Panama and Houston, with insights from their experiences captured daily in video format.
Pilgrims have the chance to share their significant moments on social media using the #parrawyd hashtag that will be published on the site. The communications team will also be sending daily photographs that will go onto the Diocese of Parramatta Flickr page.
A special feature of the parrawyd.org site is the ability to track the pilgrims with a live mapping tool while they are overseas.
If family members, friends, parishioners and members of the public wish to send messages of support, there is a forum available on the main page.
In the case of emergency, the website has a critical information page, where there will be a contact number for the critical response team in Parramatta, who touch base with the pilgrims.
The website is accessible on computer, mobile and tablet.