One hundred and fifty young men and women pilgrims from 13 Australian and New Zealand Dioceses participated in a Columban Mission Experience in four Columban parishes in Chile on their way to World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Bishop Christopher Prowse of Sale Diocese, Victoria, and 11 priests, two brothers and a sister, accompanied the pilgrims.
This Columban Mission Experience was organised by Columban Fr Dan Harding, Janette Mentha & Assunta Scarpino from the Columban Mission Centre, Melbourne.
Goals of the Mission Experience
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• The young pilgrims were invited to open their hearts and minds to a South American expression of their mutual Catholic Faith.
• They were invited to participate in the vibrant liturgical and pastoral life of each parish and to see how it responded to the enormous social, economic and environmental problems in the surrounding areas.
• Together both groups would share their music, dances, songs, recipes, meals, crafts, games and friendship.
• The pilgrims would experience first-hand the cross-cultural missionary life and work of Columban priests, sisters and lay missionaries.
The WYD Pilgrims participated in the following events:
• Eucharist
• Faith Sharing
• Meals & Dancing
• Creation walks in Valparaiso
• Guided walks through barrios followed by reflections
• Pastoral Experiences - aged home, kinder, medical
centre etc
• Mission experiences and reflection
• Sports
• Cultural exchange
• Meeting the tribal Mapuche people
Read more from The Far East, September 2013