By Anthony Barich
FORTY-EIGHT City Beach parishioners had their faith challenged during a day of prayer and reflection at three pilgrimage sites on 8 April, which also served to build the spiritual community.
Holy Spirit Parish priest Fr Don Kettle organised a pilgrimage to three sites where participants reflected on and renewed their Baptismal vow and think on the theme put before us: “How much does God love us?”
Those participating were both old and new parishioners and the age spectrum was young to those in their twilight years. Fr Kettle said that to build a community of Catholic, like-minded people, “there has to be something more than the Sacraments to bind the parish together. Parishioners need a mix of liturgical and social functions to be able to communicate at all levels with their fellow Catholic journeymen”.
The day started after the normal 7.45am Mass on a bus journey first to Bullsbrook’s The Virgin of the Revelation shrine and Church where pilgrims were given brief informative history of the shrine and its worldwide following under Her title of the Virgin of the Revelation then a time of private prayer was available.
From there Fr Don escorted all to Fr Fox’s Bindoon Church Our Lady of All Nations. The Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary were recited travelling between the two destinations giving all time to ponder ‘How much does God love us?’ “The tranquil surrounds was conducive to reflect and pray,” Fr Kettle said.
Next stop was the Benedictine town of New Norcia. On the journey there Fr Kettle led the singing of the Divine Praises in which “all were reminded that God does love us and He reminds us all in this beautiful prayer. The motto of the Benedictines is PAX and certainly we felt the peace of God and His Blessed Mother with us here especially”, Fr Kettle said.
“Lunch served as a great way for all pilgrims to mix, talk and exchange ideas on various diverse subjects and to build relationships that will bind Holy Spirit parish even closer together,” he added.
All who were able to join Fr Kettle have stated independently and as a group that they were moved by the day spiritually, their Faith was challenged and because of this it has grown and importantly they met and got to know their fellow parishioners better.
It has been suggested by participants that a further pilgrimage be undertaken later this year to the new Bunbury Cathedral of St Patrick. This pilgrimage set goals that were met and participants, because of this, are seeking more.