Olá!

Dear Parents, Guardians and Pilgrims,

We hope you had a blessed Holy Week and Easter! As we are in the midst of the Easter season, our Church is joyfully celebrating the Risen Lord.

We also celebrate the fact that over 500 pilgrims will be going on pilgrimage with Archbishop Peter A Comensoli to World Youth Day Lisbon in over three months’ time!

You can download a full copy of your itinerary here.

Our team is working diligently to ensure that this pilgrimage is a safe, joyful, and fruitful experience for all our pilgrims.

Your pilgrimage has truly begun as we now enter a time of preparation and formation. Over the next few months, we will have an opportunity to gather in-person and online, for pilgrims to meet each other and their leaders, and prepare for World Youth Day both practically and spiritually.

Throughout this time, parents will have the opportunity to ask questions and meet with key leaders. To ensure that we prepare well, these sessions are compulsory for pilgrims.

Please find below details of the First Pilgrim Gathering, and Parents and Guardians Session both on Sunday 30 April. We request that parents accompany their children and attend the Parents and Guardians session.

Sunday 30 April - First Pilgrim Gathering and Parent Session

1 pm – 4.30 pm Australian Catholic University

This gathering will be our first opportunity to meet together as a whole pilgrim group. It will be a great chance for you to meet other pilgrims, hear from some inspiring speakers, and for our team to share with you some important information about your pilgrimage.

We also look forward to hosting a concurrent program for parents and guardians where you will be able to engage with our pilgrimage leaders, hear important information about our program, and the various measures in place to keep pilgrims safe, and also how you can support your child in their participation in WYD.

Pilgrims under the age of 18 will be required to be signed in and out of this event by a parent or guardian.

Please arrive at ACU’s St Mary of the Cross Square on Brunswick Street Fitzroy where members of our team will be ready to welcome you.

There is limited street parking and an on-site car park available (entry via Victoria Parade, charge applies). Public transport is readily accessible with several nearby tram and bus services and the nearby Parliament Station is only a 600m walk.

Find your way to our first pilgrim gathering here.

For a full list of Pilgrim Formation dates click here. Please mark these dates in your diaries.

You will be walking a journey that millions have travelled on for nearly 30 years. Discover more about the history of World Youth Day on the WYD Lisbon 2023 site.

Portuguese 101

Learning basic phrases in Portuguese is a useful thing to do to prepare. Here are some phrases to get started:

Hello – Olá

Please – Por favor

Thank you – Obrigada (for a female), Obrigado (for a male)