By Caroline Watson
Pilgrimage is a term that has become more popular in recent times, in part due to the increased popularity of the Camino de Santiago and in part the success of World Youth Day.
At John XXIII College the term pilgrimage is the buzz among Year 11 students for most of the year.
A program inspired by the Year of Jubilee’s pilgrimage theme has seen students and staff of the College travel to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam to work with Sr Trish Franklin ibvm for the past 15 years.
This year’s pilgrims arrived in Vietnam on September 27 and were immersed in Vietnamese culture for 14 days.
During the first week students worked at the Thein Phuoc Centre which caters for orphans with a disability.
They were involved in a range of activities to assist with the day-to-day care of the children. For many students it meant feeding a child for the first time, games of catch and an insurmountable amount of cleaning.
As the group moved into the second week, they travelled to Vinh Long in the Mekong Delta where they resided in a traditional home and spent time alongside local workmen building a house for a family whose home had been flooded numerous times.
Upon returning to Ho Chi Minh City the group visited three more centres for children and engaged in fun activities including song and dance.
A highlight of the time spent with the street children was the visit to the Dan Sem Waterpark, which also provided an opportunity to escape the hot weather.
An important aspect of the pilgrimage program aside from the outreach work, is the opportunity for students to pray and reflect using the Ignatian Examen process.
This process, coupled with the experience of the pilgrimage, allowed everyone in the group to explore more deeply their relationship with God and the place of faith within their lives.
During term three, the group participated each week in a preparation program that helped them to understand the language, culture and history of Vietnam.
They also attended a retreat that would prepare them for the activities and games they would run and prepare them for the spiritual and emotional demands of the pilgrimage.
Staff from the College, Miss Jodi Joyce, Mr Christian Thompson and Ms Caroline Watson journeyed alongside the students throughout the process.
Through the generosity of the College community, the pilgrims were able to leave donations of clothing, school materials, toys, sporting equipment and medical supplies along with financial donation in each of the centres they visited.
At the time these students were serving in Vietnam there were other groups from the College in India, East Timor and Alice Springs working alongside members of the Loreto and Jesuit orders.
Upon return to the College the various groups participate in a series of debrief activities including opportunities to share their stories with the wider College community, family and friends.