World Youth Day 2019 – Day 1 (In Transit)

15 January 2019, Pilgrimage to World Youth Day 2019 Panama
Sharna’e Tanti of McCarthy Catholic College, Emu Plains. Image: Diocese of Parramatta.

 

Bishop Vincent Long OFM Conv is leading 171 pilgrims from the Diocese of Parramatta to World Youth Day 2019 (WYD).

WYD 2019 will be a pilgrimage to Mexico, Panama and the United States for a two-week festival of faith with millions of youth from around the world joining Pope Francis for an encounter with Jesus and deeper faith formation.

The Diocese of Parramatta Communications Team will be capturing stories during WYD 2019. You can follow the pilgrimage below through our daily updates and on parrawyd.org.

For Day 1, click here.


Mother’s encouragement key to pilgrim’s first World Youth Day

The long journey to Panama via Mexico continues today as the 171-strong group travel through Houston and San Francisco bound for Mexico City in the evening. Despite the obvious fatigue of 15-hour flights, the pilgrims were in good spirits as they encountered long lines and waiting at US airports.

For Sharna’e Tanti of McCarthy Catholic College, Emu Plains, attending the World Youth Day (WYD) pilgrimage to Panama is a leap of faith.

Not knowing much about the pilgrimage before ‘signing up’, she admits that it was encouragement from her mother that she decided to be part of the WYD experience.

“I didn’t know much about World Youth Day, my mum wanted me to go more than I did, but now that I have done the formation sessions, I certainly am happy to be here”. She is especially excited about the encounter in Mexico “I am excited about meeting other Catholic school students in Mexico” she said.

Sharna’e will be supported by her fellow group members under the leadership of World Youth Day ‘veteran’ Amanda Bentley. Amanda is a Teaching Educator with Catholic Education Diocese of Parramatta and this pilgrimage will mark the fifth time she has travelled with the Diocese of Parramatta to World Youth Day and her third as group leader.

Sharna’e Tanti (top left) and Amanda Bentley (second from left, top) with other pilgrims. Image: Diocese of Parramatta.

Amanda’s role as a leader is to support members of her group and she hopes that the Diocese of Parramatta pilgrims will have that special encounter with Christ and come to a deeper understanding of their faith that she has experienced at previous World Youth Days.

“I love that World Youth Days show that we are part of a Universal Church, it gives my faith life another boost and the daily discipline of the timetable of prayer gets you into a rhythm. “

Pilgrims will stay overnight in Mexico City before travelling to Puebla tomorrow.

View the photos from today here or click on the images below.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/parracatholic/sets/72157698825178801


World Youth Day 2019 IN-Sync

The Diocese of Parramatta will be a hosting a special World Youth Day event on January 27.

As the 171 pilgrims from the Diocese of Parramatta prepare for the final Mass at World Youth Day 2019 in Panama, their families and friends are being invited to celebrate alongside them thousands of kilometres away in Parramatta.

The World Youth Day (WYD) 2019 IN-Sync event on Sunday 27 January will allow those families and friends to connect with the pilgrims as they finish their pilgrimage.

WYD2019 IN-Sync has been organised by Catholic Youth Parramatta, Institute for Mission, St Patrick’s Cathedral Community and the Diocesan WYD Steering Committee.

The World Youth Day 2019 IN-Sync event will be held at St Patrick’s Cathedral, Parramatta, on Sunday 27 January at 6pm.

Fr Paul Roberts, Director for the Institute for Mission, Diocese of Parramatta, said that IN-Sync is “an attempt to link the local community with our travelling pilgrims, and a chance for those at home to share directly in the spirit of World Youth Day.”

The IN-Sync event will begin with Mass at 6pm at St Patrick’s Cathedral, Parramatta, with a celebration of food, music and fellowship to follow.

If you wish to attend, please RSVP by 22 January to Fr Paul Roberts – connect@ifm.org.au

 

Essential details

  • 27 January, from 6pm
  • St Patrick’s Cathedral, Parramatta
  • 6pm – Special WYD Mass
  • 7pm – Food, shooting video messages to be used for the pilgrims’ retreat in Houston, video messages from our pilgrims in Panama

To follow the Diocese of Parramatta’s pilgrimage to World Youth Day 2019 in Panama, please visit parrawyd.org

 

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