Our parishioner and Sacristan, Brigid Daly attended World Youth Day in Lisbon during August 2023 and reflects on her experience.

I was fortunate enough to be given the opportunity to attend World Youth Day (WYD) in Lisbon this year along with another 1.5 million young people from around the world.  I have always wanted to attend WYD after many previous encounters with it growing up.  My first experience was in 2008 when our parish was involved in the WYD in Sydney, Australia.  Our Lady of Good Counsel had a large involvement which led to us hosting two ladies from Mexico for their time in Melbourne leading up to WYD.  There was singing, dancing and events held within our parish to celebrate the many young people who were staying with a range of host families.  This was a very special moment to be a part of despite being too young to go up to Sydney to be involved in the main events.  My sister then went on to be involved in another two WYDs throughout her university days.  Then it was my brothers turn to go to WYD in Poland.  When the 2019 WYD came around Fr Matthew Baldwin, who was our Assistant Priest at the time, insisted I skip a bit of year 12 to attend, however my mother thought it was best I stay put until VCE was completed and then consider attending the next one.  Of course, Covid happened.  After years of waiting, it was finally my turn to go to WYD!  I was very excited the day I found out I had a spot in the Direct to Lisbon pilgrimage. 

It was a daunting and exciting trip to the airport, not having anyone from our parish in my group.  I took a leap of faith and prayed I would make new friends along the way.  And that is exactly what happened.  Most members of my small group had brought their sibling along, however I was flying solo.  But after a 24 hour series of flights, that was no longer a problem.  God was looking out for me and had positioned me in a group with the most amazing, kind young people. 

We arrived in London for a quick drive tour around the city before dark, prior to checking in to our hotel for a three hour nap before our final flight to Porto and bus drive to Fatima.  After a long journey, our free time exploring was spent walking around Fatima and getting to know the sights as well as each other.  We were greeted by the beautiful sights and were fortunate to have a guide, Fr JP, teach us about the significance of Fatima and the three children’s encounters with the apparitions of Our Lady.  Fatima allowed us to get to know each other and to also get used to the heat of Portugal before we joined the masses of other young people.

Next, we moved to Lisbon to meet up with the rest of the Melbourne groups.  It was comforting that the entire Melbourne pilgrims were staying in the same hotel, finding the familiar faces of Fr Hoang and Deacon Tien in the breakfast room!  Lisbon was a lot busier and faster paced than Fatima had been.  Our first “all pilgrims” Mass put into perspective the millions of young people that were all there for WYD and to celebrate the young people in our faith.  I was not expecting such big crowds and had never seen so many people in such a small space.  It was amazing to see so many people of a similar age all celebrating the same thing.  Listening to Mass on the radio was a different experience.  There were many young people, many languages but all understanding the same message.  The Pope was able to connect so easily to the young people, as his messages were deep and personal to all who attended.  A few messages that resonated with me included “each of us is loved by our name, uniquely”, “do not be afraid” and “God calls me as I am, not what others want me to be”.  The Pope wants us to be unique in our life and in our faith.  Despite the changes in modern day religion our faith is unique to all of us, and we should not be afraid in our practice.  WYD is an event that reflects the large number of young people sharing the similarity of the same faith.  It is such a special and unique position to be surrounded by so many young people that is often not seen at weekend Mass, but WYD showed me they are out there in the millions. 

WYD allowed me to connect with other young people that share the same faith and learn what faith means to them and how they practice in this modern-day world.  The Pope was a pivotal moment in bringing us together to celebrate all the young people and show us how God loves us. 

A particularly special moment of my experience in Lisbon, that I am so grateful I have, is all thanks to my older sister.  When she went on WYD many years ago, she met an American friend Monica, since then they both went on another WYD and caught up when my sister travelled to America.  Monica, being one of eight children, had younger sisters similar to my age; through their ongoing connection they realised both had younger sisters going to WYD this year.  With the power of technology, we were able to meet up!  What started as an American and an Aussie becoming friends has allowed their younger sisters to meet.  It was a great experience, sharing stories and learning about each other’s cultures.  The most special part included attending one of the Pope’s Masses together.  My Aussie group had forgotten our radios allowing us to translate  the Mass.  But with the help of the two American sisters knowing Spanish, they were able to listen to the Pope and translate for us, which was so much more meaningful than listening to the radio.  It was such a special experience, not only listening to the Pope, but connecting to our new American friends through the power of translation.  Although we are the youngest in our families, I hope this friendship continues despite being in different countries! 

The main event came around quickly, we were briefed to bring seven litres of water each for the pilgrim walk and sleep out as Lisbon was expecting a high of 40°c with a low of 30°c.  A long 15km walk switching who was holding the water was tough for everyone, however our small group had become such a close tight knit group we were all there for each other encouraging and supporting each other to keep going.  On our arrival at the destination of the sleep out, we could see the beach and the beautiful water, although unfortunately despite the heat it was off limits.  The 1.5 million young people were all squeezing in to find a spot to sleep.  Once we had found a small space, opportunities to move were limited.  As the sun went down and it started to cool down, we enjoyed a twilight Mass from Pope Francis before a loud concert.  It was 3.00 am before the music was turned down.  A rough nights sleep, on uneven dispersed rocks, and feeling your sleeping mates on either side of your shoulders, squashed in like sardines, was worth it to see the sunrise above the water.  Morning Mass was a wonderful way to complete our week.

During the rest of our time we were fortunate to explore the sights of Lisbon, being lucky enough to see the spectacular Lisbon Cathedral as well as the St Jerome Monastery and a quick trip to the beaches of Lisbon! 

My experience would not have been as wonderful as it was without my small group and small group leader.  God truly showed he was looking out for me when he allocated me to this group.  Our friendship and group cohesiveness was instantaneous.  We formed a bond that will last.  It was so special to discuss topics around faith and learning with each other.  Being surrounded by young people that were all like-minded, allowed me to develop and explore my faith in a setting that only brought my faith closer to God.  A special mention to Fr John Paul Mount (JP) who stepped up to be our small group leader when our original group leader unfortunately misplaced her passport and got stuck in London for a few days before rejoining our group.  Having JP as a small group leader was wonderful.  He is a young priest who was able to encourage, enrich and empower our faith through his expert knowledge and understanding of our faith and how it relates to us, the young people of the church.  Fr JP inspired us and empowered us to take our pilgrimage and the teachings of the Pope and feel empowered to practice our faith in this modern and challenging world.  If you are down on the Mornington Peninsula at any time do attend the Rosebud or Dromana Catholic Church and be inspired by JP.

I am eternally grateful for my experience at WYD.  I have learnt a lot about myself and my faith and bring a new perspective coming back to our local community.  Not only do I look forward to bringing my experience into our community but also how I strive to practice my faith as a future health care professional.  I would like to thank Fr Brendan, Fr Frank O’Loughlin, the wonderful office staff and the entire community of Our Lady of Good Counsel, All Hallows and Our Lady of Victories for supporting me in my pilgrimage.  A special mention to Fr Hoang and Deacon Tien for being such comforting familiar faces at WYD with me.  However next time Deacon Tien you need to let us know if you are having a private meeting with the Pope so we can all enjoy the special experience!! 

By Brigid Daly 

Published: 13 October 2023