There was a time when mother of nine, Yvonne Muller’s would bring her youngest, Tione, then aged one, to the Walk with Christ Procession to join a modest crowd of maybe 500 Catholics to walk to the cathedral.
It wasn’t just a seemingly lonely experience but a fearful one.
“The first time we went, there was a whole group of people at a set of traffic lights, yelling at us… just spitting to our side,” she recalls.
With young children in tow, including “a double pram and a baby carrier,” she was understandably concerned: “I was nervous. I was scared for my kids.”
The hecklers would shout that Jesus “was a faker… not the true God” and claim “this is a cult.” Yvonne’s response was dignified: “I just kept joining in the rosary, just keep moving, I told my husband. I think I prayed the rosary a little bit louder.”
But today, as Tione turns 21, and her family grows to nine, she has no such fears. Especially now that initial assembly of 500 has grown to a potential Catholic “army” of 20,000.
“I can’t believe how much its grown. Today it’s so much safer with all the security and volunteers. More and more families come every year and you don’t feel threatened at all. People now stop and they look in admiration, they look on in wonder,” she said.
About ten years ago, she began noticing the procession growing.
“Getting into Martin Place was a struggle. Coming out of the train station, you couldn’t even move. It was beautiful to see so many faithful servants here.”
For the Mifsud family, this year’s Walk with Christ procession will be a poignant first-time experience as they honour the memory of a beloved mother and grandmother who never missed the annual event.
Daniel and Antonella Mifsud and their daughters Lorena and Sofia are fulfilling what they see as a continuation of Daniel’s mother, Mary’s, faithful devotion. Mary, who passed away last August, attended the procession every year.
“We believe she would have wanted us to go as a family and for our faith,” Daniel explained.
For Antonella, the decision to attend comes despite her apprehension about large crowds. “I’m a bit nervous about the crowds,” she admitted, “but I think being surrounded by so many faithful people will give me strength.”
She also sees the procession as reminiscent of the beautiful religious festivals she witnessed on a recent trip to Italy. “The processions in Italy are spectacular,” she noted. “I’m looking forward to seeing all the different schools, banners and communities united.”
Both parents hope the experience will strengthen their daughters’ connection to their Catholic identity. “I think it will help them realise they’re part of something bigger,” Daniel reflected. “Seeing all the different parishes and schools coming together shows the unity of our Catholic community.”
The procession will culminate in the forecourt of St Mary’s Cathedral—a location that holds special meaning for the couple as it is where they married.
As the Year of Jubilee continues, the Mifsud family’s participation represents both a tribute to Mary’s memory and a commitment to nurturing their faith together.
“We want to be united in faith as a family,” Antonella shared, “just as Mary always wished for us.”
For the Muller family, participation is also deeply meaningful.
“For us as a family, it’s teaching our kids there are more people like us out there, more families who have so much pride in our faith,” Yvonne explains. She sees their participation as “walking together for our Lord, being a light in the world, where there’s so much darkness.”
The festival begins at 1pm in Martin Place, followed by the Walk with Christ Eucharistic procession from 2.30pm on Sunday, 22 June.