Christus Rex Pilgrimage Friday 26 to Sunday 28 October 2018 Clergy Information
About the Pilgrimage The Christus Rex Pilgrimage is a 90 kilometre walk which is completed over three days. The pilgrimage concludes on the last Sunday of October each year, the feast of Christ the King in the liturgical calendar of the Extraordinary Form. This year s Pilgrimage will occur on the 26th, 27th and 28th of October 2018. The Pilgrimage commences at St Patrick s Cathedral, Ballarat on the Friday immediately preceding the feast of Christ the King. The pilgrimage concludes on the Sunday at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Bendigo. Free registration for priests and religious To assist you in joining us, priests and religious do not need to pay a registration fee. Page 2
Assistance from the Christus Rex Society The Christus Rex Society can provide you with assistance in the following areas. Travel arrangements to and from the Pilgrimage Camping equipment and set up Alternative accommodation Dietary requirements Fundraising for group transport options for your parishioners Please contact us if you would like our support in these matters, or if you there is any other thing with which we may be of assistance. No need to walk The Christus Rex Society provides transport throughout the pilgrimage to cater for the needs of priests and religious. Priests and religious can walk as much or as little as they wish. Accommodation Simple but comfortable sleeping arrangements are provided for priests and religious. This includes tents, camping mats and sleeping bags. If you are unable to camp or have any specific requirements, the Christus Rex Society will be able to arrange limited alternative accommodation such as staying locally with families. Page 3
Spiritual Aid for Pilgrims Your ministry is most needed in the following areas: Celebration of daily solemn Mass in the extraordinary form Hearing of confessions along the route and at rest stops Leading pilgrims in prayer and song on the route Preaching of short homilies at rest stops and at Mass Catechises of children and youth Praying the liturgy of the hours Exposition and adoration of The Blessed Sacrament and benediction We also provide facilities for all priests to celebrate their daily mass throughout the pilgrimage. Promotional Material Even if you can t attend, we would be grateful if you could assist us by distributing promotional material for the pilgrimage in your parish or community. The promotional material includes pilgrim Information booklets, flyers and posters. If you re able to assist us in the distribution of materials in your parish or know of any other parishes or communities who may be interested the pilgrimage please let us know or ask them register their interest through our website (www.crex.org). Page 4
Episcopal Patronage The Bishops of both Bendigo and Sandhurst Dioceses regularly honour us with their participation in the Pilgrimage. This year, we are also pleased to announce that Bishop Bishop Umbers of thesydney Archdiocese will be celebrating a Pontifical Mass to close the Pilgrimage on the feast of Christ the King. Spiritual Theme The spiritual theme of this year s Pilgrimage is taken from Ephesians 1:10, Restore all things in Christ Consistent with this theme, we ask that the spiritual guidance that you provide to the Pilgrims over the course of the Pilgrimage have a focus on the restoration of society with Christ as its King. The 2017/2018 liturgical year has also been declared a national year of youth by the Australian Bishops Conference. The Christus Rex Pilgrimage will particularly assist young people in achieving the aims of the year of youth, of dialogue and active engagement in the life of the Church. We would be grateful if you could encourage any young people in your community to attend. Page 5
Frequently Asked Questions Do I need to walk the whole way? No, there will be support vehicles for those clergy/religious who do not wish to walk. There are many opportunities to minister to pilgrims which do not require you to walk. How will I celebrate Mass? Facilities are provided for you to celebrate Mass each day in our portable chapel (in addition to the principal Masses). I d like to preach, but I don t have time to prepare lengthy homilies? Lunch and rest breaks are very short. Homilies preached must be correspondingly brief (ie. no more than 10 mins). What are the accommodation options for clergy? Camping is encouraged. Alternative arrangements are available. I have special dietary requirements/ a medical condition will this be a problem? Please contact us so we can make sure appropriate arrangements are in place When do pilgrim registrations open? Pentecost Sunday, 20 May 2018 Who should I contact for information? See the contact information at the rear of this booklet. When should I register? Now! Please register on our website as soon as possible so that we can ensure that your experience on the pilgrimage is as fruitful as possible. Page 6
Brief Itinerary This is a guide only. Specific detail is to be confirmed at a later date and may be subject to variation. Thursday Check-in at St Patrick s Cathedral Solemn Requiem Mass at St Patrick s Cathedral Overnight accommodation in church halls Friday Solemn Mass at St Patrick s cathedral and pilgrim s blessing Morning tea and homily in Ballarat State Forest Lunch in Creswick Afternoon tea and homily in Kingston Dinner and evening accommodation in Smeaton Compline and adoration Saturday Morning tea and homily on the outskirts of Smeaton Outdoor Solemn Mass at Campbelltown followed by lunch Prayers for the Dead in Sandon cemetery followed by afternoon tea Dinner and evening accommodation in Newstead 9:00pm Compline Sunday Pilgrims are transported by coach to Lockwood South Morning tea and homily Streamside Reserve, Lockwood South Lunch at Kangaroo Flat Pontifical Mass for the Feast of Christ the King at Sacred Heart Cathedral, Bendigo at 3:00pm Final itinerary and specific roster information will be provided to registered clergy in their information pack at the check-in desk Page 7
How To Register Registrations will open on our website on Pentecost Sunday, 20 May 2018. In order to ensure compliance with both civil and canonical obligations, all attending priests and religious must register their attendance via our website. There are no exceptions to this rule, regardless of past attendance. If you are interested in receiving more information prior to registrations opening, please contact us or register your interest online at: http://crex.org/wordpress/get-involved/clergy/ Warranties It is important that Priests and Religious obtain the appropriate warranties from the Dioceses in which the Pilgrimage takes place. This may include the diocese of Ballarat, Melbourne and Sandhurst. If you are attending the Pilgrimage, we request that you apply for them as soon as possible. Please contact Fr Caldow for more information. Contact The Priest Coordinator this year is Rev. Fr. Ashley Caldow. For more information, you can contact him at ashleycaldow@ hotmail.com or on (03) 5443 4400. info@crex.org Paul Brazier 0448 008 365 Jessica Brazier 0432 960 541 Page 8