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On the night of Good Friday, 25th of March, 19 students from Year 11 and 12 participated in the annual Parramatta Good Friday Walk, walking 21km overnight. This walk was a reminder of the passion of Jesus and what He did for us.
Blessed with great weather, we started this pilgrimage from the Church of St Patrick in Blacktown at 10pm, all in great spirits, energised to start the night well. It began with a small talk at the start, informing the more than 1500 youths in the church about safety as well as the purpose of the walk and a short reflection on the Year of Mercy. This occurred throughout all 6 churches.
Our first stop was to Seven Hills, Our Lady of Lourdes Church. It was amazing to be able to walk with thousands of youths, meeting new people along the way. The start of the walk wasn't so tiring as everyone was very excited about the night. As we reached the first church, we were hustled inside and listened to reflections as well as a testimony, which truly allowed everyone in the room to listen to God's mercy, active within an individual.
Leaving Our Lady of Lourdes Church, we went on to walk throughout the night to four more Churches in Toongabbie, Wentworthville, Merrylands and the last church in Parramatta. Fortunately, all churches provided us with food and refreshments to keep us energised throughout the night. However, we gradually began to form aches in our legs as it dawned on us that we'd have to walk until morning. We began to feel the weariness of the night, relishing the moments when we could sit down and rest our legs.
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Arriving at the final church, St Patrick's Cathedral in Parramatta, around 6:30am, we all felt exhausted but accomplished. It was clear that we were not at all expecting the walk to be so heavy both physically and spiritually. However, for me, there are no regrets doing this walk. Despite the leg pains, I was able to see the Passion of Christ in a different light together with so many youths most likely experiencing this same feeling. The purpose of this walk was to remind us of what Jesus did for us but not only did it remind us, it left an impression that we as humans have experienced true mercy from Jesus and that we are all accepted by Him. Thank you to Miss Stephanie Llave who journeyed with us.
Jessica Hostiadi