God was surely looking down on our diocesan community this past weekend, blessing the Diocesan Local Pilgrimage Experience with three days of sunshine, fellowship, and faith. From Friday through Sunday, pilgrims journeyed across our region, visiting churches that carry the deep spiritual and historical foundations of the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle.

The pilgrimage began on Friday at Our Lady of the Rosary Church in Taree, where pilgrims were greeted with prayerful hospitality. On Saturday, the journey continued through five significant churches: Sacred Heart Cathedral, St Mary’s Star of the Sea in Newcastle, St Brigid’s and St Patrick’s, Cooranbong, St John the Baptist Shrine in Maitland, and St Joseph’s, East Maitland. On Sunday, the pilgrimage reached its final destinations: Blessed Virgin Mary Queen of Peace Church in Scone and St Joseph’s, Murrurundi, each community offering joyful masses, pray and reflection, hospitality and a heartfelt welcome.

Throughout the weekend, the Gospel message, “Love one another as I have loved you”, was made real. It was visible in the hospitality of parishioners, the prayer shared across locations, the shared meals and conversations, and the profound sense of welcome pilgrims felt wherever they went.

Though not every pilgrim could attend all the sites, many visited multiple locations, and a dedicated few undertook the full journey. Carpooling, hiring buses, and walking side-by-side, they formed new friendships and strengthened old ones. In travelling together, they embodied the very meaning of pilgrimage: a spiritual journey in communion with God and others.

One pilgrim shared that the weekend felt like a true pilgrimage experience, one that usually requires international travel. Another reflected on the grace of learning the stories behind each church and how these places stand as testimonies to the enduring legacy of the faithful who came before us.

Just as pilgrims returned home, hearts full and spirits renewed, they were met with a profound gift: the inaugural Mass of Pope Leo XIV. His homily echoed perfectly the spirit of the weekend, offering a global mirror to our local experience. He proclaimed:

“With the light and the strength of the Holy Spirit, let us build a Church founded on God’s love, a sign of unity, a missionary Church that opens its arms to the world, proclaims the word, allows itself to be made ‘restless’ by history, and becomes a leaven of harmony for humanity. Together, as one people, as brothers and sisters, let us walk toward God and love one another.”

It was a fitting and providential conclusion, a local pilgrimage crowned by a universal call. Our journey through the diocese was not isolated; it was part of something greater. As our diocesan Church opened its arms to pilgrims, the universal Church, under the guidance of a new shepherd, opened wide the arms of Christ to the world.

May this pilgrimage inspire us to continue walking together, praying together, and building a Church that truly reflects Christ’s love.