In July, 2012 Fr Gary Walker, Regional Director of St Columbans Mission Society in Australia and New Zealand sent a letter to the Catholic Bishops of Australia inviting pilgrims for World Youth Day (WYD) 2013 from their dioceses to participate in a four-day parish-based mission experience in Santiago, Chile on route to Rio de Janeiro. 
Eight dioceses from Australia and one from New Zealand accepted the invitation, resulting in around 200 pilgrims participating in the Columban Mission based experience in Chile.
The pilgrims will experience first hand the mission of the church Ad Gentes. We expect to create awareness of the importance of the New Evangelisation, of overseas and cross cultural mission and to promote vocations to the priesthood and religious life.
There will be many young people in Chile who will not be able to attend WYD Rio. We see this experience as a mini World Youth Day for all participants. Chilean youth from our parishes in poor areas will have an encounter in faith with the young Australian pilgrims.
The program will include:
- Opportunities for faith sharing through the daily Eucharist, liturgies and bible studies involving the Australian pilgrims and the Chilean parish youth and families.
- Catechetical Workshops on the New Evangelisation, including the "Continental Mission" which the Latin American Church is actioning as a result of the 2007 CELAM Conference in Aparecida, Brazil.
- Pilgrims will be able to witness and participate with the Parish Mission Teams in the task of evangelisation.
- Opportunities to partake in pastoral action through visits to the sick and elderly; shanty towns; rehabilitation centres for substance abuse; homework centres for children and youth; and ecology programmes.
- Pilgrimages to the Shrines of local Chilean Saints such as St Albert Hurtado SJ and Carmelite St Teresa of the Andes.
In late February this year, a 2-day seminar was held at Columban Mission Centre, Essendon for the WYD Co-ordinators in preparation for the trip. WYD Co-ordinators and pilgrims are excited about the opportunity to participate in the mission experience in Chile.
For more information about the WYD 2013 Columban Mission Programmes please visit:
WYD - Columban Mission experience Chile 2013
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