Tuesday 13 May was a glorious day in the North-East of our Diocese – the waters of the Murray glistened under a clear, blue sky and birdsong sang its tributes. “It’s impossible not to feel connected to Creation or be in awe of it in such a beautiful place,” said Yarrawonga Pilgrim, Eileen Thorpe.
The Wahgunyah Mass Tree is the closest Sandhurst pilgrimage site to Yarrawonga, yet for the pilgrims, the day away felt like an immersion in a different, beautiful world.
“It was incredibly enriching,” said Eileen. “It was fascinating to learn about the history of the place, to understand the importance of red river gums and get a deeper insight into the roots of our faith and a sense of who we are as people of God in our Diocese,” said Eileen. ”I looked at the Mass Tree and wondered how many thousands of people had gathered under this tree before us, and imagined their hardships, their hopes.”
Fr Junjun Amaya, Parish Priest of Yarrawonga, shared Eileen’s sentiment. "Celebrating Mass under such a majestic and historic tree connected us to the spirit of the people who gathered for the first Mass there almost 150 years ago. It showed us that we can celebrate our faith together in community anywhere, and that is what keeps our faith alive," he said.
Pilgrims were well prepared for the journey and the time spent at Wahgunyah. Fr Junjun provided resources, including the Sandhurst Pilgrimage card, before the journey and spoke about pilgrimages at Mass. “The material helped us to prepare spiritually for the day,” said Eileen.
Forty-five Pilgrims arrived in a car-pooled convoy with their BYO chairs for the Mass and picnic which followed, where they enjoyed reconnecting and getting to know each other better.
Parishioners from Corowa and Rutherglen, and family members from other parishes, accepted Yarrawonga’s invitation to join them at the Tree. “One of our parishioners grew up on a farm which extended almost up to the Mass Tree, so she invited her sisters to join us,” said Yarrawonga parishioner, Libby Dowling. “Another parishioner spent her childhood visiting her Aunt and Uncle nearby but had never known about the Mass Tree.”
Eileen and Libby are both inspired to make pilgrimages to all of the Sandhurst pilgrimage sites. The next one – the grave of Rev. Galen inside St Patrick’s Church, Wangaratta, where, coincidentally, they were both baptised and Eileen and her husband, John, were married.
“Thanks to Fr Junjun, the day was a great success. He helped us to spiritually prepare for the pilgrimage by providing resources and talking to us about the pilgrimage from the altar,” attested Eileen. “He’s motivated me to do things I probably never would have thought of doing before, so we are very lucky,” exclaimed Eileen. “I’m in my 70s and I’m still learning every day!”
