Catholic Outlook Magazine | Ordinary Time| 2023 Issue

Journey to Lisbon 2023,
the Parramatta Way
STORY VIRGINIA FORTUNAT
Our young pilgrims depart for World Youth Day in
Lisbon in mid-July this year. Here’s how they are
preparing for this life-changing experience.
Bishop Vincent’s invitation to the Youth of Parramatta
to join him on pilgrimage to World Youth Day in
Lisbon set the wheels in motion for the teams from
Catholic Schools and Catholic Youth Parramatta.
Our task: to prepare 130 young people spiritually,
emotionally and practically for the journey over
18,000 kilometres to Lisbon.
The seven preparation sessions were based around
the formation of the head, heart and hands. As we
travel from Paris to Spain to Portugal, guided by
Mary, we will follow in the footsteps of the saints:
women and men who throughout history have carved
a path to God just as our young people are today.
As a teacher and a leader in the Diocese, I’ll be
privileged to support young teachers as they grow
in faith and love for their vocation. I have previously
worked with Isabella Plust, a young FIAT (Faith in
Action Team) teacher who is heading to Lisbon.
She is looking forward “to spending some time with
God, to reflect, to take a step back and to come back
hopefully feeling refreshed and renewed.
“I found as teachers, we’re always busy and on
the go. Always having to prepare lessons, marking,
registers, and programming – which is all part of our
job, and we love doing it – but there’s never really
a chance to just stop and take a step back. So, I’m
most looking forward to just spending some time
with God and to nurturing that relationship,” she said.
I’m also travelling with students I taught many
years ago, such as Lucy Keene, who I remember
as a seven-year-old at St Nicholas of Myra Primary,
Penrith, and is now a Year 11 student at Xavier
College, Llandilo. Lucy says,
“I’m really hoping to make a lot of friends but then
also learn more about myself, learn about different
things and grow as a person. I’m really excited to go
to all the Churches and to see them all.”
Young teachers and aspiring Religious Education
Coordinators are also on the pilgrimage. Luigi Zucco,
a teacher at St Agnes Catholic High School, Rooty
Hill has never left Australia. He is looking forward
to “walking in the footsteps of the Saints. It is
something I’m going to cherish and I know is going
to teach me many life lessons beyond school.”
I’m inspired by our pilgrims who have put their
hands up through their parishes, such as Leonie
Nahhas of Holy Spirit Parish, St Clair-Erskine
Park. Leonie is preparing every day, “taking every
opportunity to encounter Jesus daily, in quiet and
little ways, to draw near to Him as a source of hope,
encouragement and deeper revelation.”
I know many parishes are helping our pilgrims with
prayers and fundraising – Thank you!
We hope you will follow along with our pilgrimage
at the parrawyd.org website and subscribe to
receive emailed updates. There’s plenty of spiritually
enriching resources to explore on the official World
Youth Day website as well. We look forward to
bringing you highlights from this once-in-a-lifetime
trip, which concludes with Bishop Vincent leading us
for three days in Assisi, in the spirit of St Francis.
Virginia Fortunat is a Mission Partner at Catholic Schools
Parramatta Diocese and is part of the Formation Team for the
Diocese’s Pilgrimage for World Youth Day 2023 in Lisbon,
Portugal, in August.
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