In the largest showing since the pandemic, more than 1200 young people from Western Sydney, the Blue Mountains and beyond, participated in Catholic Youth Parramatta’s Good Friday Night Walk.
Walking in solidarity with each other and with the suffering Christ throughout the night, students, teachers, young people, families, religious and a priest walked 23 kilometres from St Patrick’s Church, Blacktown, to St Patrick’s Cathedral, Parramatta.
“What an incredible witness to have so many of you saying ‘yes’ to this experience,” Qwayne Guevara, Manager Catholic Youth Parramatta, told the pilgrims.
Participants are seen at the beginning of Catholic Youth Parramatta’s Good Friday Night Walk at St Patrick’s Church, Blacktown. Image: Diocese of Parramatta
“The hope of this pilgrimage is that we walk together to encounter Christ along the way. This is a walk with Christ.
“On this day, Good Friday, we move into this period where we reflect on the reason for our faith and the reason why we come together as a community with Christ as our example.”
In blessing the pilgrims on their journey, Bishop Vincent Long OFM Conv, Bishop of Parramatta, expressed his joy at the witness of young people as a “true expression of the Catholic Church.”
“This walk is not a sprint or a marathon. It’s not about who crosses the finish line first. Rather, it is a spiritual journey, it’s an imitation of Christ who walked the Way of the Cross on this very day,” Bishop Vincent explained.
“He did so with love, patience and above all, trust in God the Father.
Bishop Vincent blesses pilgrims ahead of Catholic Youth Parramatta’s Good Friday Night Walk at St Patrick’s Church, Blacktown. Image: Diocese of Parramatta
“At each church where we stop, we’ll listen to scripture, reflections and songs of praise and we’ll seek to learn from Jesus as He encountered different challenges along the way and how He responded to them.
“This walk is not being done by ourselves individually, but in companionship with each other and with Christ. This companionship of Christ, nourished by prayers, helps us to overcome the difficult moments and to expand our horizons.”
Parish reflections ground experience
Throughout the pilgrimage, the group stopped at six churches and were lead in a series of reflections on the Stations of the Cross by youth ministry teams across the Diocese.
For World Youth Day pilgrims Chevonne and Sam from Mary, Queen of the Family Parish, Blacktown, leading the reflections at the beginning of the walk allowed them to give back to the community that supported and nourished their faith journey.
“It’s so great to see so many people of the same faith in the one place and it’s amazing to see that we have so much energy and passion to do this walk,” Chevonne said.
Members of the Victus youth group from Mary, Queen of the Family Parish, Blacktown, perform a dramatisation of the Stations of the Cross during Catholic Youth Parramatta’s Good Friday Night Walk at St Patrick’s Church, Blacktown. Image: Diocese of Parramatta
Sam added, “it’s great to see everyone energised now, but I love seeing how reverent we are when we go through each church and we go through the stations.”
First-time pilgrim Justin from Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, Seven Hills said, “listening to the music and the prayers and looking ahead at the altar and the tabernacle, it was a very peaceful, calming and reflective environment to think about all that Jesus had done for us.”
Members of the youth group from St Patrick’s Cathedral Parish, Parramatta and Holy Family Parish, Emerton, perform a dramatisation of the Stations of the Cross during Catholic Youth Parramatta’s Good Friday Night Walk at St Patrick’s Cathedral, Parramatta. Image: Diocese of Parramatta
Sense of community
The walk is a great opportunity for community building, Chevonne explained. “There’s a lot of friendships formed through this pilgrimage, outside friendships that can be fostered, which I think is super important.”
Alessia from St Patrick’s Marist College, Dundas Valley, said, “I love seeing people come together, especially for a Catholic event, where we can share something in common, like our faith.”
“It helps us connect to each other, it helps us embrace our differences and as a community of faith, we can share these connections and come together.”
Fellow student Ofa added, “seeing so many people here and learning from them how they live their faith, I hope will help deepen my own connection with my faith.”
St Patrick’s Marist College Dundas Valley students Ofa (left) and Alessia during Catholic Youth Parramatta’s Good Friday Night Walk at St Patrick’s Church, Blacktown. Image: Diocese of Parramatta
Young people witnessing to faith
Participants on the walk were really inspired that young people were sharing and professing their faith in such a public way with the walk.
“It’s very inspiring seeing young people witnessing to their faith in a public way because a lot of teenagers go down the wrong path, so it’s inspiring for other teenagers to look up to people like us and want to be like us in the future,” Taylor from St Margaret Mary’s Parish, Merrylands, said.
Participants carry a wooden cross during Catholic Youth Parramatta’s Good Friday Night Walk. Image: Diocese of Parramatta
Jeremiah from Wollemi College, Werrington, said, “I hope this walk allows me to understand how Jesus felt during his crucifixion and I hope that this Good Friday Night Walk spreads more awareness of the Catholic faith in our community.”
Sam added, “it gives us a chance to see that we’re all on the same journey of faith, but we all have our different paths.”
Participants sing following Catholic Youth Parramatta’s Good Friday Night Walk at St Patrick’s Cathedral, Parramatta. Image: Diocese of Parramatta
Jared from Our Lady of the Rosary Parish, Kellyville said, “If the disciples of Jesus’ day could go through one night of what happened to Jesus, surely we could afford to do one walk, one night and give it to God.”
Mark from the St Thomas the Apostle Chaldean Diocese, based in Bossley Park, said, “when you’re in a group and you start praying, soon enough the whole group will start praying with you too. Like it says in the Bible, it’s better having many people praying with you and for you than just yourself.”
View images from the CYP Good Friday Night Walk here or below:
