By Gabriel Chan
Individuals from diverse areas of society gathered together as one community to achieve a ‘Camino.’
The event took place on Easter Monday, 1 April at Shoalwater Bay and Lake Richmond in the Rockingham area.
The event was spearheaded by Fr Geoff Aldous, who says that it was “an exercise of community building” between four parishes: Our Lady of Lourdes, St Vincent’s, Saint Bernadette’s, and St Teresa of Calcutta.
The event, however, extended to individuals beyond these four parishes. The ‘pilgrims’ comprised couples, young singles, and young children. Pilgrim’s ages ranged from 3 to 87 years old.
They varied from Catholic, Anglican, and Baptist, to non-religious or atheist. “I was delighted that there [was] a good number of young people,” says Fr Aldous, “and a number who were not Catholic and enjoyed the welcoming experience.”
The event’s planning committee comprised representatives from each of the four parishes, but also included non-Catholics.
“Each member of the team was responsible for preparing and presenting one of the [nine] reflections,” says Fr Aldous.
“This enabled a broad coverage of spiritual aspect and also gave it an ‘evangelising’ thrust.”
Each of these nine reflections focused on a subject, which together, contributed to the overarching theme of ‘ecology.’
This refers to the interdependence between people, their communities, and the environment.
The majority of the reflections centred around the subjects of nature and community.
On the subject of nature, the reflections called on participants to reconnect with the environment as a “sacred” and “divine” part of our reality.
They connected Aboriginal spirituality, particularly the Indigenous peoples’ intimacy with nature, to our Catholic tenets of “oneness” with both our environment and our community.
Regarding community, the reflections focused on “unity” and “acceptance.”
Themes ranged from the healing of divisions, the welcoming and inclusion of others, and the renewal and enrichment of our culture, made possible through Christ our Lord.
Two committee members, being poets, contributed their own reflections in the form of original poems.
They are not affiliated with a religious group and were invited into the community by Fr Aldous.
This is their second Camino with Father Aldous.
One particular reflection was about family, describing it as the “basic unit of society.”
This reflection was shared by Daniel and Geraldine Chan, who are parents of six children.
It spoke of the family as the “incubator and nourisher of life.” Using the example of the Holy Family of Nazareth, it stated that “all our ordinary activities have a divine meaning.”
After the reflection, Daniel invited the community to join him as he recited the ‘Prayer of Saint John Paul II for Families’.
This prayer calls upon the intercession of the Holy Family, that every family may become “a true shrine of life and love.” All participants, including the non-Catholics, joined in this prayer. One participant, who is atheist, is a traveller from New South Wales.
She was invited by another non-religious person, who is a committee member.
Because the event began with Mass in St Joseph’s Chapel, she started to leave, and happened to tell this author that the Mass was “not her thing.” This author encouraged her, “The walk begins at 9:30. You’re welcome to stay until then.” She did.
Throughout the Camino, she frequently engaged with fellow pilgrims. At the end of the event, she stayed for the cuppa. Before she left, she said, “It’s nice to feel welcomed by a community like this.”
The committee held the cuppa in the St Joseph Retreat Centre at the end of the walk.
The majority of participants, including the non-Catholics, participated and socialised over refreshments.
At every stage of the journey, a volunteer followed the group in his vehicle, being on hand to shuttle those who could not finish the walk.
At the end of the Camino, a number of participants drove their cars to ferry pilgrims back from the finish point to the cuppa.
The weather was sunny throughout the entire day. It was windy and slightly chilly in the morning, but got warmer towards the afternoon.
Fr Aldous intends to host another Camino next year. The date and location are to be announced in the near future.