Sandhurst’s World Youth Day Pilgrims gathered in Shepparton for the first time on Sunday 30 April to begin the formal preparation for their journey to Lisbon, Portugal at the end of July this year.

A group of 34 pilgrims from Sandhurst Parishes and Catholic Schools will join the World Youth Day celebrations with young Catholics from around the world, leaving Melbourne on 29 July and returning two weeks later. They will spend the majority of the pilgrimage in Lisbon taking part in the World Youth Day Festival, including the Vigil “Sleep Out” and final Mass with Pope Francis. Pilgrims will also have the opportunity to visit Fatima for a day and spend several days in retreat in Avila, Spain before departing for home.

This gathering was the first of four pre-pilgrimage formation sessions that will allow the pilgrims to gather together and learn more about what it means to be a pilgrim. The particular focus for the entire pilgrimage is placed on Our Lady of the Visitation as a role model for pilgrims and missionary disciples everywhere. Pope Francis has chosen the theme “Mary arose and went with haste” (Lk 1:39) that connects this WYD with the previous few years’ themes, all focused around young people being active in their own lives, responding to the needs that they see and being “protagonists for change” (Pope Francis) in the world.

Regular updates on the pilgrimage preparations, as well as highlights and reflections from the pilgrims’ international journey, will be shared in coming Sandpipe e-News editions, as well as on the Sandhurst Youth Facebook and Instagram pages.