Pilgrimage to Armidale

INVITATION - PARISH JUBILEE YEAR PILGRIMAGE TO ARMIDALE CATHEDRAL

Saturday, 13th September, 2025

This year, 2025 - was proclaimed by our late Holy Father, Pope Francis as a Holy Jubilee Year - a year of celebration and reflection of God’s love for our and our relationship and connection with God and our neighbour - the people around us; our family, those in the community and the wider world.  

The idea or concept of pilgrimage is a theme that lies at the very heart of our Catholic faith: and has a powerful connection to the theme of this  Holy Jubilee Year 2025: Pilgrims of Hope. This year, proclaimed by our Holy Father, Pope Francis, is an extraordinary invitation to embark on a spiritual journey, both physically and within our hearts.  In announcing the Holy Year, Pope Francis  reminds us that "Hope is the central message of the coming Jubilee." (SNC, 1). We are called to be "pilgrims of hope," an image that encapsulates the very essence of our Christian journey and the daily walk of our life.

Pilgrimage is essentially a physical journey to a place of spiritual or sacred significance which echoes or expresses a deeper inward, spiritual journey. 

The concept of pilgrimage is as old as faith itself. There are many examples of pilgrimage in the Scriptures. From Abraham's call to leave his homeland and journey to a promised land  in the book of Genesis, (Genesis 12:1-4), to the Israelites' exodus from Egypt and their forty years of wandering in the desert, always moving towards the Promised Land.  In the New Testament, Mary and Joseph journeyed to Bethlehem for the census (Luke 2:1-7) and later to Jerusalem for the Passover (Luke 2:41-42). Jesus himself, our ultimate Pilgrim, walked the dusty roads of Galilee and Judea proclaiming the Good News of the Kingdom of God, culminating his earthly journey in Jerusalem with the way of the Cross, where he offered his life for our salvation. His entire life was a pilgrimage of obedience to the Father's will.  The whole story or narrative of salvation is steeped in movement, in journeying with hope and trust.

A pilgrimage involves leaving the familiar behind, stepping out of our comfort zones, and intentionally seeking an encounter with the divine. It often entails sacrifice, perseverance, and a willingness to embrace the unexpected. These challenges, as Pope Francis highlights, can become moments of grace, drawing us closer to God. The journey itself can become transformative.

Invitation to Pilgrimage: As part of St. Joseph’s family and Parish community, you and your family are invited and encouraged to embrace your identity as "Pilgrims of Hope”, and join with the wider St. Patrick’s Parish community on ‘pilgrimage’ to our Catholic Cathedral in Armidale, the Mother Church of our Diocese; the seat of our Bishop who is a physical sign of our unity with Pope Leo and with Catholics throughout the world.  This pilgrimage will be the main event marking and celebrating the Jubilee Year in our Parish. 

Our pilgrimage to Armidale is an opportunity for us to look back on the story of faith in our Diocese, to learn about those who filled with hope, sowed the seeds of faith in our Diocese; to give thanks to God for their faith and courage and to draw strength from their example of living in Hope as they walked the journey of faith, sharing the Gospel news amidst the struggles of their time.  

You are invited to come and have a tour of Ss Mary and Joseph’s Cathedral: - find out the special secret of the Pipe Organ in the Cathedral (our Stage 2 students at St. Joseph’s know from their pilgrimage and tour earlier in the year).  - Come and find out the connection between Bishop Torregianni (3rd Bishop of Armidale) - the Ursuline Sisters and St. Mary MacKillop.  - Why is Armidale so significant to the Ursuline order of nuns.

Please take time to look at the plan for our Parish pilgrimage to the Armidale Cathedral on Saturday, the 13th September and consider joining this special Parish event.  For more information please see or contact Mr. Withers at school.