Jay-Ann Marie Gutierrez

Jay-Ann Marie Gutierrez

St. Aidan’s Eucharistic Youth Ministry,

Rooty Hill 

As I continue to find myself in this journey of life, I look to God to direct me to the right path. Through the formation sessions in the ‘Planted and Built Up’ Volunteer Program, I have been able to discover new ways of finding and living a deeper faith. One of the key points I learnt at the Youth Leader’s Retreat on the 26^th February, was that a personal relationship with God is a sure way of achieving holiness. However, it is through love of prayer, love of the church, love of our Lady and love of the sacraments (just some of the many loves we should uphold) that we are able to achieve this supernatural way of being and living.

There is a key point that Mr. Peter Holmes communicated to myself and others at the Intellection Formation Program on the 4^th December, 2010, and that was “ignorance of the scripture is ignorance in Christ”. Through this quote I was awoken to the fact that reading scripture was lacking in my spiritual life. This was just one aspect in my life that needed improving, as I continue to struggle finding God in all things. However, I am comforted by the words of St. Josemaria Escriva when he says in his book, the Way; “Another fall, and what a fall! ... Must you give up hope? No. Humble yourself and, through Mary, your mother, have recourse to the merciful love of Jesus. A miserere, and lift up your heart! And now begin again.”  So as many of us continue to forward to WYD in Madrid, Spain, I pray and hope we may continue to struggle more in our interior life, as through our struggles we may continue to build a stronger faith in Christ.

Luke Martin

Luke Martin

St Madeleine's Parish

Kenthurst 

My name is Luke and I am a Pilgrim from St Madeleine’s Parish Kenthurst. The first meeting I attended was at St Nicholas of Myra Church at Penrith, in mid-February. This was a catch up meeting for people who could not attend the one held the previous Wednesday. I didn’t know anyone else participating in the Planted and Built Up Program and such, had no idea what to expect or how many people would be there. About 80 people were in the parish hall, split half and half between parish representatives and school students. The night was all about pilgrimages and meeting other members. The main speaker was the youth minister from St Bernadette’s who explained to us all the reasons why people go on pilgrimages and where they usually go. Explaining how the disciples were the first pilgrims and the many pilgrims in church history.

From talking to others during the evening it seemed like everyone I talked to on the evening was travelling via the Holy Land, the longest package available, although I did meet other who were going “Pilgrim Way” like me.  The last half hour of the meeting was devoted to learning some basic Spanish. Luckily one member of the group was a Spanish teacher. The essentials is what we started with including “Donde?” meaning  “where?” and “aqui” meaning “here”.

The second meeting I have been to on how to prepare for WYD was at St Patricks Cathedral on Shrove Tuesday. This continued our preparation by discussing the sacraments involved in WYD. One of the two speakers was Bethany who encouraged us all to embrace any opportunity we have while travelling to commit to the sacraments. Learning that there may be the chance to receive Communion, Reconciliation, Confirmation and even anointing of the sick. Although no person thought they would get married while at WYD.

The experience so far has helped me appreciate the importance of travelling across to Spain to experience WYD. It will be a time of great education and a spiritual awakening, helping me to focus on what it can bring for me rather than where I will go and what I will see.     

I have continued to be involved in many ministries at our parish. Including Acolyting and Eucharistic Ministering. I have joined the Parish council and have become involved with that. Some of the projects I am working on at the moment are starting a youth group in the parish, we have started with younger children and hope to start an adolescent one soon. I am involved with greening our church, joining a committee entitled green church. I am hoping to establish a weekly morning mass conducted solely by students at Marian College and this morning was at training for them, with Sr Anna explaining church procedure and how to be Eucharistic ministers.

Hazel Cortez

Our Lady of the Rosary,

St Marys

Planted and built up in Jesus Christ, firm in faith!

Being relatively new here in Australia, there’s always a feeling of being an outsider in every place, at gatherings and occasions that I have attended  - and through this program I am beginning to get the sense of familiarity and belongingness, and to be part of a community with a vital purpose. More so, having been chosen as the volunteer for this great cause is a great opportunity for me, so much so that I really need some power booster of my faith.

Honestly speaking, it is my personal struggle of my faith that makes me want to be part of this event, I want to be inspired again and to be an inspiration to others – and I know that all I can do is try and try again as long as there’s still life in me.

As a new OLR church parishioner and as a volunteer, I am keen on following orders or requests rather than initiate – but I am hoping that as time goes by, and as I feel more at home, I could contribute more and be of assistance to a greater cause of the church, for I believe it’s us ‘the people’ that form the church --- it’s our faith that connects us all.

And lastly, I would like to thank the OLR church for giving me this chance. I will surely treasure this for the rest of my life; may this be my re-charging point when time gets tough in my journey towards life and its challenges.