Some say there’s something uniquely spiritual about riding a motorcycle. The wind against your skin, the open road ahead, and the beauty of nature enveloping you with a surprise around every bend.
It’s faith on two wheels, creating a palpable connection with God’s creation.
“You feel like putting your hand up in the air. It’s like, wow, God, there you are. Thank you for this beautiful view,” said motorcyclist and Sydney Catholic Jim Jankiewicz.
It was this sensation of driving in the presence of the divine that inspired Jim and his best mate and fellow motorcyclist Branko Poljak, to initiate the annual St Joseph motor pilgrimage.
“We love riding bikes, and we love St Joseph, and we thought why don’t we bring the two together on his feast day?” said Jim.
Now in its fifth year, the pilgrimage took place from 14-16 March and covered an impressive 900 kilometres over three days, involving a motorcade of three motorbikes and six cars carrying 15 pilgrims.
The journey began at St Joseph’s Moorebank with the sacrament of reconciliation and Mass.
From there, the pilgrims embarked on a route that included stops at Bulli, Goulburn, Orange, and Bathurst, with additional visits to jubilee sites.
“This year’s trip is a combination of two things, including continuing the devotion to St Joseph. At each stop, we have prayers and reflections on the saint,” Jim explained.
“Secondly, we aimed to enhance our Jubilee Year pilgrimage by visiting three designated Jubilee shrines where we received plenary indulgences for souls in purgatory.
“In Orange we were greeted by 70 men from the parish of St Mary and St Joseph who started their men’s group after we spoke to them about our own men’s group two years ago, which was amazing.
“This year, we tried something new. The community at Mullion Creek, about 20 kilometres from Orange, welcomed us to their lovely church and we found around 200 people attending a charming wooden chapel.
“Fr Greg Bellamy celebrated the vigil Mass. It was a wonderful experience with such a close-knit country community and their warm hospitality.
“Our pilgrims had never experienced something like that.”
The addition of cars this year to accommodate non-bike riders has made the pilgrimage more inclusive, allowing more people to experience this unique form of spiritual journey.
One of the most memorable moments of the pilgrimage occurred in a Goulburn pub, where the group spontaneously broke into song, their voices raised in a rousing rendition of “Hail Holy Queen. It gave us all a feeling of not being afraid to show our faith in public,” recalled Jim.
The trip ended with at Mt Schoenstatt, Mulgoa where the travellers were received by Fr Paweł Barszczewsk, who gave them all a pilgrims’ blessing.
“God is so gracious and will send an abundance of graces when you when you really go out there and spread the word,” said Jim.
For those interested in joining this extraordinary journey of faith, contact Jim Jankiewicz on 0432 487 927 or Branko Poljak on 0411 281 299.