New Zealand Catholic parishes are bracing themselves as they prepare to host 4000 international pilgrims heading for World Youth Day in Sydney next month. Details are being finalised as to how the six Catholic dioceses of New Zealand will host the pilgrims passing through the country for Days in the Diocese.
The Days in the Dioceses form a major part of the World Youth Day festivities, giving international pilgrims the opportunity to experience local parish life, billeted with Catholic families.
Auckland will host the bulk of the international pilgrims - just over 2000.
Large groups are coming from the United States, Canada, France and India, with smaller numbers from Tahiti, Qatar, Sweden, Rwanda, Nigeria, South Korea, the Philippines, and several South American countries.
The Diocese of Hamilton will host around 400 pilgrims from France, Canada and the United States while the Diocese of Palmerston North will host 48 pilgrims from Montana in Taranaki and 28 pilgrims from Manitoba, Canada, in Manawatu.
The more than 200 pilgrims being hosted in the Archdiocese of Wellington will arrive from four continents - Europe (Ireland, Portugal, France and Poland), Americas (Canada, US), Africa (Sierra Leone) and Asia (Philippines and Malaysia).
Christchurch will be home to around 400 pilgrims from five countries - South Korea, USA, Canada, France and Australia.
The southernmost diocese, Dunedin, will be hosting a group from Atlanta (United States) in Queenstown for a few nights, while a group of pilgrims from Kansas will celebrate Mass while passing through Cromwell.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.
The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.
Sotto Voce