Home......More Photos

Hi All,

After we farewelled a few of our fellow pilgrims at the airport in Madrid, who are staying on in Europe for a few more days, the remainder of the pilgrimage group embarked upon the long flights home.  These pilgrims are now all home safe and sound, mostly sleeping, processing photos, thoughts and memories.

As I now have much more access to internet I have updated some of the pages above with more photos.  Check out the tabs above the main group photo above: Rome, Lourdes, Burgos and the WYD week photos, for heaps of photos from our pilgrimage.

Again, many, many thanks for all your thoughts, prayers and comments.  We are grateful for being able to share our journey with you in this way.

I hope to get up some overall thoughts and highlights from pilgrims onto this blog over the coming weeks.  Please continue to keep pilgrims and the young Tasmanian Church in your prayers, and welcome home the pilgrims to your local parishes and schools and encourage them to share their stories and message.

Rachelle

Post Retreat

How's it going subscribers?  This is Andrew 'AJ' Johnston of Launceston, putting in my first and most likely only entry to the blog.  It's quite early in the morning and we are on a flight between Madrid and Dubai as I write this to you all.

So, WYD week came to an end, and we headed off to Segovia for a few days to settle down and reflect upon our amazing journey.  We spent a number of days in a lovely hotel (a welcome change to a week in boiling hot Uni dorms) where the peace and serenity of the surrounding lake allowed us time to really look back at the impact that the week itself, as well as the journey leading up to, had taken on us.

Arriving on Monday morning, the first business was to finally escape the heat by having a swim, and relaxing over a coffee.  Whilst a fair amount of time was spent relaxing, the main goal of the retreat was to analyze in our small groups what had happened to us.  The challenging side of a pilgrimage like ours, is that it can be face paced, and it can be difficult to find adequate time to reflect on what has happened, and to really see where God has been during your day.  So, the opportunity to look back was amazing.

The highlight for many I believe came in the final mass of the retreat, when the group shared highlights and challenges of the whole pilgrimage.  Whilst many laughs were shared, we also were really able to look at each others faith journeys and see how the love of our Lord has touched us all.

Breaking from topic, I would like to say a personal thank you to Mr T and the whole group back in RC3 at St Patrick's College for thinking of me, and sending through their well wishes.  I greatly appreciate it guys.

That's it from me.

Through the love of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, may you all remain firm in the faith that we all, not just our pilgrimage group, but everyone around us, have in our lives, and grow in the strength of God's love.

God Bless Guys,

AJ.

Swimming...

Hi All, this is Beau (Mersey Leven) and Maddie (Launceston),

After the WYD week in Madrid we travelled an hour by bus to our post retreat in Segovia.  Here, we took some time to reflect on what we did over the past few weeks.  We got to relax and talk in our small groups.  There were several pools where we enjoyed swimming and games, including a big match of pool volley ball.  On the Tuesday we had our last Mass and reconciliation.  We all ate lots of wedges for lunch and tea (not breakfast though!).

Beau & Maddie

We're Pilgrims, not tourists: The Thunderstorm

Rachelle at Cuatro Vientos

Hola!!  Rachelle here, to tell you a bit about the end of the WYD week.....

Pilgrims from all around the world were both excited and anxious as they made their way to Cuatro Vientos for the evening vigil, sleep-out and final Mass.  During the small group sessions with our Tassie pilgrims before departing on our journey to Cuatro Vientos our pilgrims spoke of being anxious of the unknown - would it be too hot? Would we be able to access water?  Would we be able to access toilets? How far would we have to walk? How long would we have to wait?.....but how exciting would the adventure be......we would never have been able to anticipate anything that happened as the evening and following day unfolded.  We certainly once again learned that God works in mysterious ways, and to expect God in the unexpected!!

walking to Cuatro Vientos

Having been to previous WYD's, I found it a relatively easy and stress free experience getting to Cuatro Vientos (although that wasn't the opinion of all pilgrims).  As we walked past buildings, people threw buckets of waters on passing pilgrims from the higher floors, a few were even standing on the very top of the building holding hoses straight into the air to spray passing pilgrims.  It got quite hot as we continued to walk another few kilometres, with no buildings for shade or to be sprayed with water.  It was very hot and dusty as we arrived at Cuatro Vientos, we quickly purchased more water for the entire group and were grateful to the fire engine that drove past spraying pilgrims with refreshing water.

As I'm sure you are well aware by now, when we arrived the gate to the main venue had been closed by Police, and we were re-directed to sit in the space allocated to locals (unregistered pilgrims) who were to arrive the next morning.  But, we were in good company, with almost 500,000 registered pilgrims being in the same boat.  This meant there was a fantastic atmosphere where we were, we could see a screen, had sound, and access to water and toilets, which we were extremely grateful for.  The way our pilgrims handled this first major challenge of the Vigil/sleep-out was inspiring and they truly took on the 'Pilgrim, not Tourist' attitude.  We were actually quite lucky as the area we were re-allocated to, also filled up, and up to 100,000 registered pilgrims did not make it into the venue at all (including some fellow Australians), which also meant that no locals were allowed in the following morning either.  Hats off to the police in Madrid for the forward thinking and crowd control management across the week, and particularly this event.

Just after the first down pour

We knew we had God on our side when, not only did we find we had access to water and toilets, but as we were settling into 'our spot', a light cloud cover came over and gave some much needed relief from the heat - YES!!......until the sky continued to cover with very dark clouds, followed by thunder, lightning, wind and pouring rain.  So much so, that the Pope stopped the Vigil half way through, until the rain and wind let up a bit.  The garbage bags we bought to sit on to keep off some of the dust, and the umbrellas we bought to sheild us from sun, were quickly moved to help shelter us from rain and wind.  During preparation for our pilgrimage I had assured our pilgrims that it only rains 3 days a year in Spain, and we would not need to worry ourselves with ideas of rain.  The evening was filled with many of our pilgrims yelling through the wind and rain......"Only three days a year Rachelle??".....I told them they were lucky, they got to see four of those three days!  Again, our Tassie guys, were true pilgrims, pulling together to use what we had to shelter from the rain, and when the rain was slightly lighter, got out of their hideaways, to sing 'singing in the rain' and always kept their spirits high. 

At this point I would like to thank you all for your prayers for cooler weather and access to water - God surely listened to all our prayers!!

The Pope was able to complete the Vigil a while later, and the clouds did eventually part (although I was concerned for a while there), and we were able to lay down on the rock solid, very lumpy, ground for some sort of rest, before the blazing sun arose the next morning, and we were thinking back to why we ever wished the rain away!

The Final Mass was of course spectacular.  Two million people is incomprehensible and unexplainable, it is the feeling you get, a feeling of unity, of love, and of life that comes from the atmosphere, the spirit, the inexplicable and undeniable presence of God in that place and in every single one of the people present there that unifies the Church and affirms you as a member of that Church and disciple of Christ.

As we were further towards the back than anticipated, we were able to make a bit of a quicker get away than we intially thought we would be able to, after the Holy Father announced that the next World Youth Day will take place in Rio.  Although there was some standing around in a tightly packed, and very hot, train station for about an hour, the police and train station management handled the situation relatively well, and we had a great trip home for a WYD, taking us only 2.5 hours to get back to our accommodation.

This meant we were lucky enough to have a shower and get changed, before heading to the farwell soccer event!  A soccer match between ex-pro soccer players from Spain versus ex-pro soccer players from the rest of the world.  Our very own Marla Giacon (Cathedral Parish) was lucky enough to represent Australia on the ground and welcome all of the players to the ground!!

After an enormous, exhausting, exciting and truly memorable week and World Youth Day experience, pilgrims were ready to board the bus to Segovia for a few days of rest, relaxation and time to process and reflect before the long journey home.

Rachelle      

Final WYD Mass

Tom at Cuatro Vientos

Hi all, Tom B here from Huon Valley Parish.

The Final WYD Mass was an incredible experience.  Whilst it was slightly uncomfortable and we couldn't always see what was happening, when two million people went completely silent during the Consecration, I felt the presence of God as I had never before.  Suddenly, the fact that the freezing night (filled with rain, thunder, lightning and very loud Brazillians) felt very worth it.  The evening, and following morning and final Mass, was still filled with many more challenges and highlights, so read on for a full account of our adventures and misadventures of the night before.

Things seemed to go pear shaped as soon as we walked into Cuatro Vientos (where the final Mass was to be held).  The Spanish organisers (being spanish), seemed to have underestimated the numbers, and the main venue where we had supposed to have been staying was already full when we arrived and the police had closed it off.  As a result, we had to sit in the unregistered area, further away from the action than originally anticipated.  However, we were right next to a speaker (which was at times a hinderence as it kept me awake for half the bloody night), we could also see a screen showing what was happening on the main altar etc, and close access to water and toilets.

Being away from the action was a pain, but we still managed to have a lot of fun!  We had a water fight and danced very badly to the music that was playing for the next couple of hours, and tried to start conversations with the Spanish girls sitting next to us.  However, they didn't speak english....it got awkward.

One of my favourite parts of the night was the thunderstorm.  About an hour after it got dark, we heard a loud rumble from the horizon, followed by a brilliant flash of lightning.  Several minutes later this was followed by driving sheets of rain.  Ironically, this became the best part of the evening, as we huddled together under anything waterproof that we could find.  The garbage bags that we had used as picnic rugs were converted into makeshift shelters and blankets pretty quickly.  There were a lot of interesting conversations happening that night.

The only really bad part of the evening was finding out that since some of the chapels bearing the blessed sacrament were destroyed in the thunderstorm, we would not receive the Lord the following morning during Mass.  We were all very saddened by that.

When the rain finally stopped and we had all snuggled deep into our garbage bags, we had one more challenge to overcome.  At about 1am, about a hundred or so Brazilians decided to start a dance.....with drums!!  I had some very unchristian thoughts at that time, however, after half an hour I thought 'what the hell' and joined in.  I didn't go back to bed for another hour.

The next morning we had the Mass, and it all became worth it.  When two million people just stop talking all at once, it is an eerie but awe-some experience.  And when they all kneel to worship our Lord in the Eucharist, a sense of the presence of God comes through in a way that is impossible to describe with words.

Anyways, I've gotta go, the group is about to move and if I keep droning on, I'll lose them.  Goodbye everyone, see you very soon.

God bless,

Tom

The opening mass

This is Danielle (Circular Head). The closing mass was an amazing experience.  We caught the train and walked about 4 kilometres with thousands of other young pilgrims from around the world singing and chanting songs.  It was 40 degrees and we were sprayed with water from the fire trucks as we walked in.  We were redirected when we arrived at the main area, as the venue was supposedly full, so we ended up outside the main gates.  From this area we could see two large television screens and we were right underneath the speakers so we could hear everything.  It was fantastic listening to the songs and everybody cheered when the Pope arrived! 

The night was rather cold, as it was windy and it poured with rain.  There was also thundering and lightening and we all sat there with umbrellas and ponches.  This is extreme weather for Spain and it usually doesnt rain during Summer.  It reminded me of Tasmania!

Mass began at 9.30am and it was wonderful to celebrate it with so many people from around the world.  It didnt matter that it was mostly in Spanish as we were able to follow on in our booklets.  The only disappointment was that we were not able to receieve the Eucharist but we recieved a blessing instead.  When Rio was announced as being the next host city, Brazil cheered so loudly.  I enjoyed the whole event, especially seeing the pride that all pilgrims held for their countries and the way they represented them!

Friday, Day 4 in Madrid

Awoke to another warm day, almost enjoying the cool showers, surprised the towel feels hot against my skin when I step out.  9am we all met for train travel to Catechesis, we are definitely getting the hang of these trains.  Everyone stay together, my group is now in sync with each other, always checking that we all got on.  Friday saw us listening to Bishop Coleridge, talking about being witnesses to God. Standing up and being counted.  Needing to open our eyes and ears to God in our lives.  So we can be God in the lives of others.  That once we start looking, and seeing God, we will start seeing Him everywhere.  This was followed by mass with an english speaking congregation.  The session was organised by an Antioch group from Sydney, lots of singing, and the theme song from the 1985 Antioch convention I attended in Sydney which brought back great memories.  We then headed to the Life and Love centre, a delightfully air conditioned large auditorium, where we got up close to the front and listened to a panel presentation on "Faith and Media".  An actor from Hollywood, a singer from Ireland, two evangelical TV presenting priests kept us engaged with the imprortance of supporting Christian ideals in movies, and expecting excellence not mediocrity in these shows.  They all acknowledged that good Chrsitian scripts were few and far between, but were often well supported when they  came along.  They challenged us to become good christian script writers.  The next panel discussion was on How to Pray, and the four speakers presented several ways, from simple ever morning and evening to Mary devotion, to rosary and Lectio divina.  This was followed by watching the Stations of the Cross with 8000 other pilgrims, and a live cross to Canada.  Many Spanish communities provided a statue depicting each station.  I must close quickly now as we are due to head off to a soccer match between Spain and "the rest of the world", somhow Australian pilgrims all got free tickets.  It will be an awesome conclusion to our time in Madrid.  Until we see you all again in a few sleeps.  Thank you for your ongoing thoughts and prayers.   Dianne Haworth 

WYD... Papal arrival!!!

Hi this is Laura and Monique (Huon Valley Parish)
On Monday we arrived in Mardrid got settled in our rooms had dinner and went to bed :)

Tuesday we had a bit of an early start, breakfast was at 7 AM, after this we had some small group time to reflect and relax. We then went to the love and life centre for english speaking pilgrims for the Australian Gatherering, there was 3000 of us and it was awesome!! We had music prayer and two hilarious MC's. That night was the opening mass at first we could not see or hear anthying so we moved to a small square and tried to listen on radios but this didn't really work so in times of singing we sang our own hymns (many passers by started to take photos of us!).

On Wednesday we decided to go to the Cathedral of Madrid which is very beautiful, we could not really see why the spanish are so ashamed of it. We then went across the square to the Royal Palace, it too was amazing. Before going into the palace we stood in line in the boiling sun for around an hour. After this we had a small amount of free time and then we were given some choices to do. Option one was to go to a talk on 'The Theology of the Body' by Chrisptopher West an American speaker. Option two was to go to 'Soul Band' from Sydney during this time we decided to reflect and write in our journals in the park. The option two group then went to see Fr Robert Galea (Sandhurst) this was absolutley amazing so many people dancing and singing to some inspiring music. Option one went to a dance show depicting the life of Jesus through the Spanish dance and music style: Flamenco.

On Thursday we went to Catachesis and mass in a completely packed church that we had to sit on the foor in, it was given by the Archibishop of New York who had a very powerful message about how to become closer to Christ. After this we went to the massive Reitro Park and watched the Pope arrive after some free time where many of us went out in boats on the lake and a few of us even went swimming... Eddie and Eve. The Popes arrival was a great experience even if we were only watching a screen the atmoshpere and excitment was overwhelming.

Laura & Monique

Radio Interview

Hi all, Rachelle here....

For the last few days Madrid has been overtaken by enthusiastic World Youth Day pilgrims.  The streets everywhere are just filled to capacity with chanting pilgrims and flags amongst a sea of red and yellow WYD merchandise.  Our tassie pilgrims have been amazed to see that even the coca-cola cans here have the WYD Madrid logo on them. The impact this great event is having on the city is indeed quite significant.

For the last two days we have been making our way to some of the youth festival events, and last night to the arrival of the Pope!  Today, amongt other things we have the Stations of the Cross, hopefully followed by a big sleep before our walk to Cuatro Vientos tomorrow for the Vigil, sleep out and then the big final WYD Mass on Sunday.  We are truly appreciative of all your comments, thoughts and prayers - they are certainly keeping us going, so thank you.  Please be assured of our thoughts and prayers for you all as well.

Just to let you know, an interview has been set up for ABC radio for Sunday morning with some of our pilgrims (whilst we are at the site for the Final Mass), with Chris Wisby, which should occur about 10am (or just after) this Sunday 21st August AEST.  So tune in if you can, and let others know.

Our Pilgrimage has been an uplifting and amazing experience thus far, and we pray your journey's at home are also spiritually rewarding.

Rachelle 

WE'RE IN MADRID!! :D

Good morning everyone, it's Sarah from Launceston Parish writing to inform you of the amazing day we had yesterday. After arriving in Madrid on monday night, we found our accommodation, which is very conveniently located to just about everything. We are sharing our university dorm accommodation with a few other Australian groups and it's been great getting to know them all so far. Yesterday was our first official day of World Youth Day week. We started off bright and early with breakfast at 7am before joined the 3,000 other Australian Pilgrims in our first official gathering. We sang songs, heard speakers talk to us about how World Youth Day impacted them and just generally started off our week with a bang. Hopefully many of you were able to watch this event through the online streaming. The next few hours were spent mingling with fellow pilgrims and having a look at the Madrid Cathedral and the royal palace. Any shade found was a blessing as it was 38 degrees at least for majority of the day.We ended up watching the opening mass from a nearby square that had a live screening and so many of us listened to it through radio's. That evening some of the Tasmanian pilgrims attended a concert that was happening in the park 100 metres from where we are staying. A supposedly famous French band were playing and despite the fact we didnt know what they were saying, we danced along and had a great time anyway. It was a wonderful start to our World Youth Day 2011 experience and I cannot wait to see what the rest of the week will bring.
Adios Amigos, prayers and thoughts to all of you at home reading this.

Lourdes

Hi everyone back home, it's Jess from the Huon Valley parish, as well as Edward and Katherine from the Launceston parish here telling you what we have been up to over the last 3 days in Lourdes.

After saying arrivederci to Italy, we travelled on to Lourdes. On our first night in Lourdes we had the opportunity to join in the candle light procession, with some of our flag bearers being asked to take flags up to the front stage with all the other national flags and pilgrims. We were in awe of the candles that light up the faces of thousands uniting in one faith, singing the rosary in multiple languages. On the second day in Lourdes we attended mass in Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Bascillica, said by Archbishop Adrian Doyle. After a guided tour we visited the grotto, this is the spot where Our Lady appeared to Bernadette. We ran our hands along the smooth walls of the grotto that millions of pilgrims have touched. That night we attended the premiere performance at the Bascillica called Un Femme de Marie, meaning a lady named mary. This was a story of Mary telling the Gospel to Bernadette. After a well deserved sleep, the three of us headed down to the healing baths of Lourdes with Rachelle. Unfortunately Rachelle had to go back to the group and an hour and a half later we had the wonderful experience of being bathed in the Lourdes water. On our way back to the group, we ran into some Argentenian and Brazilian pilgrims, and joined in singing and dancing with them. The whole morning was a wonderful experience and we all had something memorable to take home from Lourdes with us. After this we hoped on a bus to Loyola and visited the Bascillica of St Ignatius and the Holy House in which his family lived and where he established his faith. At the moment we are sitting in our hotel room at Burgos after having a brilliant dinner at Hotel Las Vegas! So arrivederci (until we meet again) from us all in Burgos, Spain

Our first day in Lourdes.

Yesterday morning we had to wake at 3am to be ready for our flights.  Looking somewhat like sleep-deprived zombies, we boarded the bus to Rome airport, and caught the plane to Brussels, in Belgium, then to Tolouse in France. 

At the airport we met our lovely tour escort Margarita, who is from Madrid and speaks Spanish, French, English and a bit of Italian.  She told us lots of interesting things about France as we travelled through the beautiful countryside.

We arrived in Lourdes in the afternoon, to beautiful sunshine and great crowds of people everywhere.  This town is very busy!  Everywhere you go there are shops selling religious souvenirs of every description including, of course, lots of bottles in different shapes and sizes for pilgrims to collect the holy water of Lourdes.  As you walk along the street there are people from all over the world proudly wearing the colours of their country or pilgrimage group, and many sick pilgrims and their carers who have come to Lourdes with the hope of receiving healing. 

My group and I spent some time down near the church to reflect on our journey so far; talking about how being here in Europe amongst so many of the important places of our faith and so many other pilgrims, both young and old, has turned the stories we heard as children in to something more real and more alive.  We also reflected on the challenges we have faced, and how a pilgrim deals with these things becomes a part of our journey of faith and discovery. 

In the evening, we joined the candlelit procession around the grotto.  There were more than one thousand pilgrims gathered together to pray the sorrowful mysteries of the rosary, in many different languages.  The sight of so many candles lifted together in prayer and so many voices singing is hard to describe.  I felt like I was a part of something very sacred and very special. 

To the people at home - we think of you and pray for you every day.  Being here in such a wonderful place of prayer makes me feel very close to you.  I would like to say a special hello to my wonderful students in Grade Four at St. Brigid's Catholic School - I miss you and pray for you every day, and I appreciate your thoughts and prayers more than you can know. 

From Amelia Daun
Moonah-Lutana Parish and St. Brigid's Catholic School, New Norfolk. 

Day 6 Roma

Hey all, its Jack and Ryan from the Huon Valley parish! We had an amazing day at the Vatican today visiting the Sistine Chapel, St. Peters Basilica and the mind blowing Scavi Tours. Missing everyone at home the parish community, friends and family we are praying for you all. We are on our way to Lourdes tomorrow so excited, please keep us in your prayers and keep checking the blog for updates on our Pilgrimage!!! Love and God Bless to all from Jack and Ryan.

Vatican city

Today strated at 6.00am and by 8.00am we were having mass at Saint Joseph's Chapel inside Saint Peter's Basilica, celebrated by Father Mike. WOW! We then met our very ITALIAN guide who took us through the amazing and never-ending Vatican museum. We attempted to take in 2000 years of art work by the masters in 2000 seconds. The tour ended in the Sistine Chapel, googling at Michael Angelo's creations. After another lunch of Italian indulgence we headed off in groups to exlpore the tombs of the Popes, the Castle of Angels, the Tiber River,  and coffee. Nothing we had seen so far could prepare us for what was coming next. Swiss guards directed us in, split us up into 3 groups (no larger than 12), and told us to stand because sitting was disrespectful. We were taken down below St Peter's Basilica to explore Rome before Constantine's time. The bottom layer revealed an ancient Necropolis which included the tomb of St Peter himself. As we moved up, the layer above revealed the remains of the first Basilica built by Emperor Constantine, which now serves as the foundations for St Peter's Basilica above. It was amazing to see that the altar of St Peter's Basilica today is directly above St Peter's tomb, 2000 years below. 

By Chris, Emily, Mads and Mer.

PHOTOS!!

Hi everyone, Rachelle again....

We have had a very full, long and exciting day today....a little warmer and longer than some of our pilgrims are used to!!  But all are in good spirits, still smiling from the day's adventures.  We have been surprised at the number of people who have been able to read the little 'Tasmania' on the front of our t-shirts - we thought it would be a little small for the average person walking past to read, but almost every second person we pass calls out 'Hey, Tasmania!'.  We have also run into a number of fellow pilgrims from around the world who are on 'pre-pilgrimage' (if you like) also on their way to Madrid.

I have added some photos on new pages.  If you look at the pages tab which is directly above the photo of the group above, you will find two new pages titled 'Photos 1' and 'Rome Photos'.  Click on both of these pages to see the photos that I have added.

We are off to bed now, early to rise yet again tomorrow for a huge day at the Vatican and the very special Scavi Excavations tour!!

Rachelle

Roaming Around Rome

Ciao, our names are Marla Giacon (Cathedral Parish), Tamara Smith (Kingston/Channel Parish) and Di O'Rourke (Bridgewater/Brighton/Claremont Parish) and we are your bloggers today!

We are just having our dinner after a very long, but very memorable day. We began the day with a visit tol St Paul's Basilica where we had the opportunity to view St Paul's tomb. This was particularly special for Di who teaches at St Paul's Catholic School in Bridgewater (Hi everyone!!). Following this we went on to the Catacombs. This was a burial place and secret meeting place for early Roman Catholics during the persecution. Here we celebrated Mass underground,with a focus placed on the martyrs who were buried in the Catacombs. After a visit to the Colloseum, the Roman Forum, Circus Maximus and Constantine's Arch, we headed to the Basilica of St Mary Major. Throughout the afternoon we visited some other Basilicas such as: the Sacred Cross in Jerusalem (which holds relics of the cross that Jesus carried to Calvary), St John in Lateran and the adjacent Holy Stairs (the Holy Stairs were brought to Rome by Helen of Constantine; they were they stairs which Jesus ascended as he went to face Pilate). We completed our day with a visit to the Pantheon and Trevi Fountain. As we reflect on our day we feel that we are beginning to get some sense of the depth and breadth of our Catholic Church history. Tomorrow we are off to the Vatican - stay tuned!!

Marla, Tamara & Di

Italy Travels

Hi my name is Tom Wilson from the Huon Parish.

The Pilgrimage has provided many great experiences right from the very beginning.

From spending 14+ hours with our fellow pilgrims on the flights to Rome, to the great and inspiring churches and cathederals that spread throuthout the Italian Region.

Great Gothic-style cathederals provide thought provoking moments. Just seeing the 100s of years old artwork which reflect spiritual journeys made by saints, popes, and other people and events bring thoughts of bravery, patience and perserverence.

Not only the land marks bring thoughts and experiences but also pilgrims, with events like Amilia slopping her dessert over her face tonight, to attempts of speaking Italian (with accents) and locals laughing at us, not necessarily with us.

Hope all is well at home,

Ciao

Our names are Zoe and Katerina and we are from Mersey Leven Parish and the Burnie/Wynyard Parish, respectively.

Today we have travelled from the beautiful town of Assisi, which is located on a large hill. We first visited Siena, where we were given the opportunity to visit Bascilica of St Domonic. We got to see a relic of St Catherine's head and finger, which is situated inside. Upon discussion with our tour guide, Daniel, we found out the her body was actually buired in Rome, where she died, and when they went to move her to Siena, her birthplace, only her head and finger were in tack, with the rest of her body decomposed.
We then walked through the streets of Siena to the Piazza del Campo, where we found out they Italians were preparing from their annual horserace.

We continued our journey by bus, followed by a cable car to reach Orvieto. At Orvieto we firstly had lunch, and a walk around the streets. The gelato was delicous :) The group then meet up for a look in the Orvieto Dome, and finished with a lovely tassie mass. Although before we went into the Dome, a few visit the toliet. When you go to the toliets, you have to pay to use the toliet. This was quiet an experience as both we were paying for not so pleasant toliets that did not have toliet paper. Inconvienient!

One hour and a half hours later, we arrived at a beautiful 4 star hotel (true pilgrim style like) in Roma (Rome).
The rooms are massive and luxurious. The tea was delicious consisting of pasta, fish, salad and lemon sorbet.

Over all a lovely day and are looking forward to our following days in Roma. The places we plan to visit sound exciting and fascinating.

Signing off for now,

Arivadechi,
Zoe and Katerina

We have landed in Europe!!

Hello to all our followers!

The Tassie pilgrims have made it to Assisi! We apologise for not having put somethng up sooner, but internet access is somewhat limited in Assisi.  On Saturday all pilgrims made their way to Melbourne, where we made a quick visit to the skydeck and St Patricks Cathedral before headed back out to the airport to check in for those very long flights from Australia to Europe.  We were lucky enough for the airport chaplain to set up a spce for us to have Mass before we boarded our 14 hour flight to Dubai and further 6 hour flight to Rome.  Arriving in Rome in 27 degree heat (quite hot when coming from the rain and cold in Tassie), we met Daniele, our trusty tour escort and boarded a bus for a further three hours to Assisi.

Assis is just beautiful.....a very peaceful, gentle place where you could just sit and take in the magnificent scenery for days. This morning we visited the Basiliica of St Francis, including the tomb of St Francis and had our own Mass in a gorgeous side chapel.  Pilgrims are currently off exploring the beauty of this place with their small groups until we will meet up again in about 15minutes to go and visit the Church of St Damiano (where St Francis heard Christ speaking to him from crucifix), the Hermitage, and Church of St Clare.  With any luck we may get to Vespers with the Poor Clare Nuns this evening, and maybe to the castle at the top of the hill.

For those of you who are unaware, Assisi, like many old Italian Villages is set on top of a hill.  So you either walking up a steep hill or going down a steep hill, nothing in the middle!!  It helps to work off those sugar coated croissants we had for breakfast though!!


So as the pilgrims are walking around you just have me!  However I hope to get some of our pilgrims on when we have more internet access in Rome.  Tomorrow we are off to Siena, Orvieto and eventually Rome by tomorrow evening.  Please continue to keep us in your prayers!

You will hear from us again soon, with a few photos too.

All pilgrims are doing really well!!

Rachelle

5 days and counting....

There is now less than one week until our exciting pilgrimage adventure begins and we will be on our very long flights!  There is much excitement among pilgrims as we make our final preparations for what is sure to be the journey of a lifetime!
Please keep the Tasmanian Pilgrimage group in your prayers at this time and make sure all your family and friends have signed up to our blog to share this faith-filled adventure with us!