We have just wrapped up the first week of our Pilgrimage for World Youth Day. On Sunday the 23rd of July, a group of young adults from the Diocese of Lismore flew out of Brisbane and arrived in Dubai 14 hours later. We had a 2 hour layover before another 7 hour flight to Madrid, Spain. Continue to read below a more in depth recount of what this first week has looked like for us pilgrims.
On July 15th we celebrate World Youth Skills Day, which was declared in 2014 by the United Nations Geneal Assembly. This day was agreed upon to celebrate the importance of equipping youth and young people with the skills for employment, work, and entrepreneurship.
NAIDOC stands for National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee, and the NAIDOC Week celebrations, from July 2-9th, allow a focus to increase awareness about the treatment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. NAIDOC Week allows everyone to come together to celebrate the culture and history of our First Nations people. This year’s theme is ‘For Our Elders‘.
On Monday the 12th of June, a satellite, Spei Satelles, with the words of Pope Francis was launched into space. These words were his moments of prayer celebrated on the 27th of March 2020, at an address during the pandemic. These words have become an ‘icon of hope, a seed of hope from which to start again.’
On June 21st we celebrate World Peace and Prayer Day, which is a day to encourage everyone to pray for our world, regardless of nationality, religion, and life experiences. This is reflected in this year’s theme, All Nations, All Faiths, One Prayer. This is also a day to learn more about Mother Earth and our environment.
From the 18th to the 24th of June, we celebrate Refugee Week. This week aims to raise awareness and create a better understanding between communities regarding the successful integration of refugees, whilst making positive and valuable contributions to Australia. This year’s theme is ‘Finding Freedom’.
We’d like to reshare our blog we uploaded last year for National Sorry Day. Each year we memorialise National Sorry Day on the 26th of May, to acknowledge the mistreatment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from the Stolen Generations, who were forcibly removed from their families.
This Sunday, we celebrate Pentecost. The Solemnity of Pentecost commemorates the Holy Spirit appearing to the Apostles fifty days after the Resurrection of Jesus.
The Ascension is an important part of the Catholic faith as it affirms the divinity of Christ, as he returned to his Father. This is celebrated 40 days after Easter, this year, being the 18th of May.
On the 13th of May, we celebrate the Feast Day of Our Lady of Fatima. This day marks the day that the Blessed Mother appeared to the children of Fatima in Portugal, in 1917. These children were Lucia, and her cousins, Francisco and Jacinta.