Harry, Nikki and Martin at World Youth Day, Poland. This photo was taken at the Popes arrival on 29 July.
Hi St Agnes!
Pokój! (peace!) and hello from Poland!
The pilgrimage so far has been nothing short of amazing. Very difficult to put into words right now, but we have definitely been changed for the better by this experience.
Just a quick recap of where we have been.
Our first stop was in Bohol, Philippines,where for the first 5 days, we were sent to St Augustines Catholic High School where we immersed ourselves in the learning environment. We helped with some painting, but the principal wanted us to focus on building relationships with staff and students and opportunities where we could learn from each other. The students were very thankful and appreciative of all your stationery donations. Martin was most definitely the school crush from the first day, and he left with many many admirers.
After a 30 hour transit we made it to Krakow, Poland via bus, ferry, bus, plane, bus, plane, plane, and bus.
We started the following day with a tour of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camps, followed by Holy Mass at Kalwara Zebrzydowska in St John Paul II hometown where he would often go to to retreat and pray as a young man. Going to both places really put into perspective the impact of two different people with two different ideologies and their effect on history and humanity.
On Monday,we had time to explore Krakow and celebrate Holy Mass at St Dominics as one diocese instead of two separate pilgrimages.
Tuesday, we gathered with 3000 Australian pilgrims at the Tauron Arena, for prayer, catechisis and worship with Julie's favourite priest, Rob Galea. Then the official World Youth Day Mass.
The following days, we were able to experience catechisis from bishops and cardinals from the US, Adoration and Worship with 18,000 other pilgrims at the arena,go to the shrine of the Divine Mercy to pray to St Faustina, the original image of the Divine Mercy and the relics of St John Paul II.
We have just arrived back a few hours ago from the welcoming of Pope Francis. Thanks to some luck and quick feet we managed to see live and record footage of his arrival to Balonia Park, it ( video will be on instagram soon). Just being in our Holy Fathers presence, elevated the spirits of the two million pilgrim gathered today, we have been in awe at the loving, positive and uplifting energy that WYD has on this city, with the millions of pilgrims filling the streets each day. We still have a few more activities with the Stations of the Cross pilgrimage walk, overnight sleepout and final Holy Mass celebrated by Pope Francis to come.
Now the Martin Report: Martin is loving every moment of this pilgrimage, his popularity in the high school in Philippines has increased even more so here in Poland not only with his fellow pilgrims, in Parramatta, but all over the world. Plenty of young pilgrims from many countries have stopped to talk to him and exchange tokens. He is very popular with Americans and the Italians.
He has definitely matured spiritually over this time, and he is very excited to share this with his St Agnes family once he gets back.
Thank you once again for your prayers and support while we're away, we have continually prayed for each of you every opportunity we get, there's so much more to come!
God Bless,
Harry, Nikki and Martin
St Agnes Catholic High School Rooty Hill
www.stagnesrootyhill.catholic.edu.au
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