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Day Four: The Last Day
Friday was the last day of the programme. How quickly this day came!
Following opening Prayer in the Chapel, the pilgrims assembled in the school hall to hear the programme for the day. Their first task was to respond in their journals to a number of questions about their experience of the past three days and as a lead in to further activities.
Journalling gave way to time signing each other's pilgrim bags, all of which were then placed into a central circle and around which they formed another 'circle of Mercy'.
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Students were then invited to form themselves into small groupings of three-five members to develop an action plan around an issue they feel strongly about - 'a passion area'. The issues they had to choose from are the eleven issues identified during the Mercy International Reflection Process (MIRP) under the two thematic areas of degradation of Earth and displacement of Persons. Groups were formed with representatives from different parts of the Mercy world to encourage collaboration on an international level. The groups are each to create a three-five minute video presentation of their chosen issue.
The groupings formed were: Garbage/Pollution, Severe Climate Change, Sustainable Living (2 groups), Mental Illness, Refugees and Asylum Seekers, Homelessness, Human Trafficking (3 groups), Poverty, Water (2 groups), Environmental Devastation (2 groups), Violence/Domestic Violence.
The remainder of the morning's session was spent by each group in identifying what inspires them to make change around the issue, what they plan to do and how they can achieve this.
In the afternoon the 15 groups reported back so that all pilgrims could hear about the chosen issues, the inspiration to select that issue, the strengths of group members and how they see these strengths assisting them to achieve their plans, key details about the plan and an anecdote about Catherine McAuley that they have learnt during the pilgrimage which they feel iinks to their action plan.
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The projects the international pilgrim groups will be working on as a result of their action plans will be shared with the Mercy world here on our website.
We'll let you know in Mercy eNews how to view them. The videos are expected to be ready for public screening in November.
The pilgrimage ended with a celebration of Eucharist incorporating a ritual of blessing and sending - a blessing for 'constant hope...bounteous love...opportunities to keep growing... courage to stand in adversity'.
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Scenes from the Week:
Lots of photos were taken by the Communications Team this week.
Here are some you haven't yet seen...
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Stephanie Langley (Facilitator), Anna Nicholls rsm (MIA)
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And so we wave off our 2019 YML Pilgrims and wish them God speed to their home places.
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Links to the pilgrimage reports will appear in Mercy eNews on 24 July 2019
Messages to: Pilgrimage Communications Team