During Pope Leo XIV’s Angelus address at a small church in the town of Castel Gandolfo, just on the outskirts of Rome, Dylan House, a seminarian at the Seminary of the Good Shepherd, witnessed an extraordinary event.
He was in the front row amid hundreds of parishioners, visitors and pilgrims, and as soon as Pope Leo appeared “the whole place was just electric”, he said.
“I was the lucky last to shake the Pope’s hand, and I was completely mesmerised when he gave me a blessing.”
It was a moment experienced by many young Australians who were part of the inaugural Lion Pilgrimage organised by Sydney Bishop Anthony Percy, and which ran over two weeks in July.
The pilgrimage, which takes its lion symbolism from Pope Leo, and his nominal predecessors, gave young people from across the Sydney Archdiocese the opportunity to consider how they could engage with their faith as they enter public or political life.
They began their journey in Milan, before travelling through Turin, Florence and Assisi, and ending their pilgrimage in Rome.
Speaking to The Catholic Weekly after the pilgrimage’s conclusion, Bishop Percy declared the experience, “an immeasurable success.”
“What was really amazing was seeing the range of backgrounds our pilgrims came from, and how different parts of the pilgrimage resonated with different people,” he said.
“There were people from health and education, there were a fair number who were in trades, others who are interested in politics.
“It’s incredibly important we’ve got young people who are really trying to live lives of faith and influence others for good through different life paths.”
Accompanying the pilgrims were SmartLoving and CathFamily co-founders Francine and Byron Pirola, who said they were surprised by how important a role marriage played in the lives of the saints they encountered.
“For example St John Bosco’s early priesthood was profoundly shaped by Giulia and Carlo di Barolo, a wealthy childless couple who deployed their resources in building hospitals and homes for the poor and orphaned,” Francine said.
“One of the things which came up in conversation repeatedly was relationships, and we were happy to lean into this because the truth is all of us, whether married, single or celibate, healthy relationships are part of thriving in life and faith.”
It was a sentiment shared by many pilgrims who embarked on the journey, including House, who believes it was easily, “the best pilgrimage I’ve been on so far.”
“You hear and learn a lot about Catholic social thought, and their principles, but to actually see how they come alive, especially in the lives of the saints, was a big thing,” he said.
“For instance, when we were learning about St John Bosco in Turin, who saw a need to help young boys and men who were ending up in prison during the Industrial Revolution, and really embrace the love and grace of subsidiarity was incredibly inspiring.”
Lily Elaro is hoping to build a career in the public sector, but trusts that God, “will lead me where I’m meant to be”.
For her, meeting Gianna Emanuela was an “incredibly moving experience.” Emanuela is the daughter of St Gianna Beretta Molla, who refused an abortion and died shortly after childbirth.
“I was amazed by the way [Emanuela] speaks about her mother with such love and admiration, despite never having had the opportunity to truly know her,” Elaro said.
“Gianna speaks so highly of her mother’s faith, sacrifice and love, and was an incredibly powerful testimony to witness.
“Meeting her reminded me not to take my own family for granted and helped me appreciate even more the gift of having loving parents, especially my mother,” she said.
“It was a beautiful reminder of the dignity of human life, and the enduring impact of a mother’s love.”
Another pilgrim, Tony Baynie, who is currently working in politics, told The Catholic Weekly he believes they came away with the knowledge and faith that, “keeping Christ above everything else,” is paramount when entering public or political life.
“I’ve seen firsthand how easily other priorities can begin to creep up the list – particularly things like ambition, ego, and winning the next battle,” he said.
“Encountering the lives of so many saints was a powerful reminder that, despite living in vastly different circumstances, they shared an ability to keep Christ at the centre of everything they did.
“We live in a culture that can often prioritise what is quickest, cheapest or most immediately useful, but the pilgrimage was a reminder of what can happen when people instead ask what is worthy, what will endure, and what can be offered for the glory of God.”
