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Kiwis give Pacific pilgrims a helping hand to get to WYD

World Youth Day, the world’s largest youth gathering taking place in Sydney this month, is meant to be a celebration for people of all countries – not just those who can afford it. To ensure this really happens, a Pilgrim Partnership Support Programme has been established to encourage communities throughout Australia and New Zealand to link up with overseas communities, offering support and assistance for participation in World Youth Day 2008 in Sydney. Most importantly, it fosters relationships that will extend long beyond World Youth Day in July.

The Archdiocese of Wellington and the Diocese of Rarotonga exemplify this. On Sunday 8 June, speakers at almost every Mass throughout Wellington spoke about the 180 pilgrims coming from the Cook Islands and parishioners dug deep to contribute to a fund to support them. To all these, the Diocese of Rarotonga said “Meitaki Maata, [Thank you very much]. Our prayers are with you.”

The Palmerston North Diocese has been connected with the Diocese of Gizo, in the Solomon Islands for many years. A cheque for $15,000 was sent from the Diocese of Palmerston North and after extensive fundraising, a further $1000 was added by a group of Dannevirke pilgrims. This will be jointly used to send youth to World Youth Day and help rebuild the cathedral in Gizo.

The Diocese of Christchurch is supporting 10 young people from two tiny and remote islands in New Caledonia after a lasting connection was struck up between a number of Christchurch young adults who visited the New Caledonian communities in 2007. The New Caledonians will also spend time in Christchurch prior to World Youth Day, along with hundreds of other visiting pilgrims from around the world.

Bishop Colin Campbell of the Dunedin Diocese made a donation to assist 47 Pilgrims from Bougainville in the Solomon Islands get to World Youth Day. It is hoped that the Dunedin and Bougainville pilgrims will have to opportunity to meet one another during the week of celebration in Sydney.

In addition to these localized opportunities for Kiwi pilgrims to support our Pacific neighbours, all pilgrims registering for World Youth Day are being asked to donate to a Solidarity Fund. The fund will assist pilgrims, who might otherwise have been unable to do so, to make it to Sydney. Furthermore, those from developing nations pay a much reduced registration fee to keep costs down wherever possible.

Written By: Connect
Date Posted: 4/07/2008
Number of Views: 212

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