Flags for World Youth Day pilgrims

Sydney
7 July 2002

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Flags for World Youth Day pilgrims

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Flags for World Youth Day pilgrims

Broken Bay pilgrims at a preparation meeting with Karen Lunney, diocesan youth ministry co-ordinator (centre, front)

By Marilyn Kerjean

The young people from the Sydney archdiocese going to World Youth Day will receive an Australian flag and an indigenous flag at a special commissioning Mass at St Mary’s Cathedral today (July 7).

This will be an important element of the Mass, led by Archbishop George Pell, to which the pilgrims, their friends, family, fellow parishioners, parish priests – including the pilgrimage chaplains – have all been invited.

The 300 young pilgrims will take the flags with them to World Youth Day in Toronto later this month.

The Parramatta diocese pilgrims will also have a commissioning Mass, led by Bishop Kevin Manning, at Blacktown parish today.

The tour for the 46 young parishioners will include nine days in the Rocky Mountains.

Anne Maree Fagan, who works for the diocese’s youth and young adults apostolate, says the pilgrims will make a connection between their days in the mountain wilderness with Jesus’s time of retreat in the desert wilderness before he began his ministry.

The Broken Bay diocese will see its pilgrim group off on Wednesday with a commissioning ceremony led by Bishop David Walker in the Pymble parish at 7.30pm.

Support for the pilgrims has helped forge stronger community bonds within many parishes.