Year 6 students from five western Sydney Catholic schools have explored the traditions, spirituality and history of three Eastern Catholic churches during a pilgrimage through Lidcombe and Auburn.
Students from St Joseph the Worker Primary School, Auburn South; St John’s Catholic Primary School, Auburn; St Peter Chanel Catholic Primary School, Regents Park; Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Primary School, Sefton; and St Joachim’s Catholic Primary School, Lidcombe, took part in the pilgrimage.
The day began at St Andrew’s Ukrainian Catholic Church in Lidcombe, where pilgrimage coordinator Markian Stefanychyn introduced students to the Byzantine tradition.
He explained the church’s architecture and iconography, including the iconostasis – the screen of icons separating the sanctuary from the nave – and how the building is designed to evoke heaven on earth.
Students also received a blessing with a relic of St Andrew the Apostle, connecting them with the ancient apostolic foundations of the Ukrainian Catholic Church.
At Our Lady of the Assumption Armenian Catholic Church in Lidcombe, students learnt about the history of Armenian Christianity, which dates to the earliest centuries of the church.
They were shown Armenian liturgical vestments and heard how their design and symbolism related to their use in the Divine Liturgy. The presentation also explored the Armenian Catholic tradition as expressed through its language, sacred art and worship.
The students then visited St Raymond’s Maronite Church in Auburn South, where they learnt about the distinctive language, gestures and prayers of the Maronite liturgical tradition.
They also spent time in Eucharistic adoration before returning to St Joseph the Worker Primary School for lunch with students and staff from all five schools.
The pilgrimage highlighted the diversity of Catholic worship while showing students that Eastern and Western Catholics share the same faith. St Peter Chanel student Chrisella said the visit to St Andrew’s was an opportunity to experience a different Catholic tradition.
“I was impressed by the beautiful icons and the peaceful atmosphere inside the church,” she said.
“My favourite part of the day was adoration at St Raymond’s Maronite Church. It gave me time to be quiet, pray and reflect on my relationship with Jesus.”
Fellow St Peter Chanel student Matthew said the pilgrimage helped him understand that Catholics could worship in different ways while sharing the same faith.
“I found the artwork and prayers very interesting – especially how they reflect the life of Jesus,” he said.
Marie, from St Joseph the Worker, said she noticed differences between the churches but also “lots of similarities”. Vivienne, also from St Joseph the Worker, said the pilgrimage allowed her to see Catholic beliefs “through a different lens”.
“There were many different traditions and ways of worship, but they all believe in the same God,” she said.
Her classmate Isabelle summed up the pilgrimage’s message: “We are all different, but we are all united as Catholics.”
