To hear chanting ringing out in football-mad Italy isn't exactly noteworthy, but his was no ordinary stadium, nor were these your typically borderline idolatrous chants. The setting, instead, was the Basilica San Pietro - a far more ornate and significant venue than the Stadio Olimpico could ever be - and the chants were a mixture of Gregorian melodies in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary and clamouring out of love for the Holy Father.

The atmosphere was unlike anything many had ever seen. To some, it was unbefitting of this holy site, and thus jarring - a view I am somewhat sympathetic too. However, to chant in unison requires some semblance of unity; a shared vision, to be of similar mind in pursuit of a singular goal, and to desire for a common end. The raucousness, at least initially, encapsulated all of this: a shared love of the Lord and a mutual desire to serve Him and His Church.

For me, that unity was plainly visible from the outset as I found myself journeying alongside a group of Italian (or at least Italian-speaking) seminarians towards the Holy Door, culminating with an audience with the Pope, the visible source and foundation of unity in the Church.

Like any good father, the Holy Father's meditation was both encouraging and illuminating. In short, to be 'witnesses of hope', one must configure himself to the Lord and love with the heart of Christ. This configuration, we were reminded, only happens through cultivating an interior life that allows us to encountering the Lord amidst 'naked' truth of our own lives. No doubt these are sentiments many of us will continue to ponder for days, weeks, months and, perhaps, for years to come.

Speaking of fatherliness, the Pope's genuine warmth has the cause of universal captivation, and our touring seminarians were fortunate enough to have experienced it firsthand. Some will forever cherish their brief tête-à-tête. Others, like Zacchaeus in the Gospels, found consolation in seeing the Holy Father pass by in person.

Thanks be to God for this remarkable opportunity to journey to Rome in this Jubilee. Rest assured of our continuing prayers for the students and staff at SCS!

Cronan Yu

A more numerous group visited Florence. It is a beautiful city in Tuscany, with its centre Square being the home of the great Basilica of Santa Maria del Fiore. The Cathedral has one of the largest domes in the world. The group attended Mass in the Duomo in the morning, followed by a special tour, when the participants were able to enter the sanctuary and look up into the inside of the dome, filled with paintings of angels, saints, Our Lady, and Christ Himself! After this, the seminarians saw some of the most famous works of Fra Angelico, including in the cells of the Dominican friars upstairs in the Convent of San Marco. At last, there was a visit to San Miniato al Monte, where the seminarians were able to see the city from afar, which was breathtaking! Alogether, the time together in Florence was amazing.

A smaller group of the seminarians made their way to Naples and visited the city. Naples, very different than Rome because of its more Spanish influenced architecture, characterises a great Catholic devotion. The local Cathedral hosts the relics of the blood of San Gennaro, miraculously turning into liquid a few times a year. The group attended Mass at the Altar near the relics. Then, there was a visit to numerous beautiful churches representing the beauty of faith of the place, with such an icons of faith as St Cajetan or Blessed Queen Maria Christina of Savoy. In addition, some of the participants visited Pompei, spending some time in prayer in one of the most important Marian sanctuaries of Europe - Our Lady of Pompei. Then, they saw the remains of the Ancient Pompei covered by volcanic lava in 79AD. Alternatively, others, instead of Pompei, chose to visit the Reggia di Caserta - the 18th century royal palace of the king of the Kingdom of Naples. It's beauty and size are astonishing. For many people, the palace would look familiar as it has been the place of movie making, e.g. Star wars, or a more recent movie Conclave.

Still others decided to continue discovering the beauty of the Eternal City - the place which may never be fully discovered because of its immeasurable richness of culture, architecture and history.

Lukasz Golab

I attended the Mass of Priestly Ordinations presided over by the Holy Father. It was a privilege to witness the ordination of 32 new priests. Remarkably, one of them was a classmate from my Ugandan seminary class, whom I've known since we began our formation on September 2nd, 2016.

Earlier this year, the Vatican requested my former seminary to send at least one deacon to be ordained by Pope Leo during the Jubilee event for priests. When Deacon John Baptist received the unexpected news, his excitement was palpable as he prepared for his ordination in Rome. I'm deeply grateful for the opportunity to be present at this momentous occasion, thanks to the Archdiocese of Sydney, the Seminary of the Good Shepherd, and SCS, particularly Fr. Dominic and Fr. Sebastian, whose guidance has been invaluable.

Lawrence Zimbe

Seminarian

Around 5:30 PM, we gathered at the check-in desk with excited hearts. It was a memorable moment when we all took a group photo before boarding the ship, captured by a kind passerby. The smiles and excitement on everyones faces showed how much we were looking forward to this meaningful pilgrimage.

Our flight took off from Kingsford Smith Airport in Sydney at 8:10 PM. As the plane ascended, my emotions soared too. I felt a mix of excitement and joy for this journey. This is not just a trip to explore new places; it is a spiritual journey to connect with God during this special holy year. I will visit Rome, the heart of the Universal Catholic Church.

With a sense of representing others in prayer, I offer my prayers to God for many loved ones from Vietnam, friends, and parishioners from St. Joachim Parish - Lidcombe, as well as everyone else I know. These prayers are an essential part of my journey, carrying the hopes and wishes of those who may not have the chance to be here for various reasons. I will remember them in my personal prayers and during our worship hours, offering them to God and the Virgin Mary, who is the salvation of the people of Rome.

I hope this pilgrimage will bring many spiritual fruits for my personal calling to the priesthood, leading to conversions and benefits for souls in a meaningful way. As Bishop Peter Kieu Cong Tung reminds us in the song "Walking in the Spirit," I surrender everything to the Holy Spirit. I ask Him to use the Word of God as a guiding light, helping me discover His will not only on this current journey but also on all paths in the future. May God and the Virgin Mary always accompany us on this pilgrimage!

Duong Hoang Anh Nguyen

We finally arrived in Rome on Saturday 21st of June at 1:35pm after twenty one hours of flight. For me, it was a mixed feeling tired but at the same time excited and full of energy to explore Italy and to make the best out of it since it is my first time to visit Italy. Weather-wise it was thirty four degrees really hot for someone from the start of the freezing winter in Australia. The hotness did not stop us from continuing with our plans of the day, we moved out of the airport full of energy to hop onto the bus that led us to our place of residence “Domus Australia.”

We had a good start of our pilgrimage with a sacrifice of Mass led by the rector of Domus Australia Rev. Fr. Joseph before we even checked in to our rooms. There is no any other better way to kick off a pilgrimage than dedicating all your plans to prayer. This was so inspiring to me and has helped me set a pace on how I am to allocate my time during this pilgrimage. I will dedicate most of my time to prayer for my self, friends, family and all the people of God out there that need prayers. I invite you all to join in prayer for this cause. God bless you all always and let’s keep each other in prayer.

Anthony Karaira

However, as we say goodbye to Italy, we say hello to France in anticipation of honouring St Jean Vianney, the patron saint of diocesan priests and a saint whose life and works is inspirational to all believers, especially for us seminarians. I look forward to see what the next few days will be like and see what the French culture and history is all about, especially since France contributed to the Church significantly. Exciting times ahead!

Harrison Brady

(P.S The photo comes from a beautiful chapel inside the Collegiate Church of Our Lady of the Marshes of Villefranche-sur-Saône, just five minutes away from where we are staying :).

Names of seminarians from the Good Shepherd Seminary:

Anh Nguyen, Anthony Karaira, Anthony Rewak, Cedricke Geraldez, Cronan Yu, Lukasz Golab, Julian Masiello, Lawrence Zimbe, Harrison Brady, Pablo Parajo, Patrick Laurente, Peter Tran, Quy Tran.

Today we will need two posts, as there is something special happening tonight, but the first half of the day was also special. I have been eager to explore Rome since we arrived and this was our first opportunity. Let the tour begin!

On the morning of the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, the Most Holy Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ we set out to explore the city as a smaller group with Fr Sebastian. This was an optional tour as an opportunity to teach newcomers how to get around and explore the city.

We began in our local train station, where many of us bought a special pass that allows us to explore the city by using the trains and buses for a whole week! This was 24 Euros ($42 AUD). We then caught the train to the East where we explored our first Piazza (square), which was an emotional experience for me - the bells were ringing and I had my first major feeling of knowing that I am in Rome!

From there we went up a hill to catch our first sight of St Peter’s Basilica, our Mother Church, away on the Horizon! From there we journeyed down the Spanish Steps, across the shopping district, and into the court of St Agnes, all the while receiving historical information from Fr Sebastian on all the sites we passed.

My favourite stop was the Basilica of Santa Maria in Travestere, which is possibly one of the oldest churches in Rome, built in the 4th century on the grounds of what was once a hospice for Roman soldiers. Inside, the ceiling was carved bronze, the sides adorned with marble columns, and the main sanctuary in the centre covered in ancient mosaics, with Christ seated at the centre on the throne, with Mary beside Him, the Queen Mother of Heaven!

It was under her patronage, Mary our Mother, that our Church was built in Rome, and throughout the world. She is the Heavenly Queen of all Christians, and is interceding for us always and drawing out of this world of darkness the light and the glory of her Divine Son, Jesus Christ, who is alive in His Church, and is drawing all believers to the Ultimate End of All Things - the Heavenly Jerusalem - which every Catholic church building on earth points to. There is the goal of our greatest pilgrimage, the pilgrimage of our lives, and we get there by Faith in Christ.

We recall His words in John 14:6 - “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.“ I pray that in this, our jubilee pilgrimage, we may be strengthened in Faith so that we can become greater witnesses to the Church in Australia, for the salvation of our nation, Austrialia del Espiritu Santo, “The Great South Land of the Holy Spirit,” to use the words of Pedro Fernandez de Quiros, the Spanish explorer who sought Australia, and as quoted by the rector of Domus Australia, Fr Joseph, in our new home away from home in the Eternal city!

Anthony Rewak

Side note: there are about 1000 churches in Rome, and it would take seeing 30 a day to see them all in about a month! Many of them are also absolutely beautiful! I did not realise how many there were! I think we will need to come back to see a lot more!

Anthony Rewak

This is the reason we had to add an extra post! In the evening, starting at 5PM we were scheduled, providentially, to join other Seminarians to attend Holy Mass for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, otherwise known as Corpus Christi (Latin: Body of Christ).

Today celebrates the gift that unites us as a Church, and distinguishes us, for we have the gift of the Eucharist, the TRUE Body and Blood of Jesus, who is TRULY present, Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity, in every Host, and Chalice after the prayer of consecration in the Holy Mass, the greatest treasure of the Church! The bread is no longer bread, and the wine is no longer wine. It is now Christ Himself!

In John 6, when Jesus first revealed that He would give His Body to eat, many of His disciples said that this was too hard a teaching, and they chose to leave Jesus. But like St Peter, and the faithful disciples, we choose to remain with Jesus, always, and confess the fullness of the Faith as Catholics.

This is what we celebrated today as we joined the Holy Father for Holy Mass at the Basilica of St John Lateran. There, we could not believe how close we were seated! We were only a few rows away from the outdoor sanctuary, where, after praying the rosary in Italian, Mass began, and the Holy Father processed out. There he was, before our eyes!

It almost felt like a dream. It was surreal. I was looking around and could see smiles on so many of my brother’s faces. Our Holy Father was with his spiritual children.

It was a Mass we will likely never forget. I had the feeling, this is not just the Pope, as if he is just a human figure in Rome. We are Sons of God, God’s Family, Heirs of the Kingdom, and this is our Holy Father, who is here, with us, and for us, in the heart of the Church in Rome. He is the visible sign of unity for the whole Church, and He is the true successor of St Peter, and of every pope who has followed! And there he was.

In the Mass, there was one moment when we heard a great thunder clap behind us, BOOM, with a storm threatening to overwhelm us, outside! All behind us and above the Basilica, dark clouds started to form, and approach! But when I looked up, the choir were singing in a way that was just heavenly, and I saw the great seagulls of Rome (they are very big!) flying above us, and even saw three together. I thought of God, and felt peace, and then, the storm passed, as if it had never been coming! Someone said later that the Holy Father prayed that it would go, and God answered His prayer.

After Mass, we joined our Lord and the Holy Father in the Corpus Christi Eucharistic Procession to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, surrounded by what seemed by thousands, priests, seminarians, religious, and laity, the faithful of Rome and beyond. This is a very old tradition in the Church, as also celebrated in Sydney every year on the Sunday Solemnity of Corpus Christi.

Many people were watching us, and many people would not have even known why we were processing. But Jesus knew, as one of my brothers told me, and so did we, for we believe and know that Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist, because He told us He is, and we believe Him, and we know Him, and we love Him, and pray that our love for Him will grow to the end of our days! To Jesus, truly present in the Eucharist, we cry out, “Our Lord and our God!”

Anthony Rewak

Anthony Rewak

Today we prayed the rosary with hundreds of seminarians around the world. We prayed the rosary in Latin and the mysteries and reflections were said in multiple languages led by seminarians around the world.

It was a remarkable opportunity to see a large number of seminarians praying together as one. It was truly empowering to witness men just like me is willing to give up their life for Christ and His people. We were all uniquely different but we were one in Christ and called by Him in a unique way.

It has been a joy and a remarkable journey to the priesthood and the Lord never fails to surprise me and He continues to do so in the little ways and in the big. My faith began from a mustered seed when I said yes to serving the Lord and now my faith has grown into a huge tree that cannot be shaken.

Thanks be to God! So I encourage you today to also have faith in God especially in the little ways and He will transform your lives!

Last World Youth Day, in 2023, I had the profound honor of visiting the Holy Land, tracing the footsteps of Jesus and my patron saint, St. Peter. This year, I'm incredibly fortunate to have another opportunity to follow St. Peter's journey, this time to Rome, where he was imprisoned, crucified, and buried.

The story of Peter's return to Rome deeply resonates with me. As he fled persecution, he encountered the Risen Lord entering the city, bearing His cross. When Peter asked where He was going, Jesus replied He was going to be crucified for His people. This powerful encounter spurred Peter to courageously turn back, leading to his capture, imprisonment, and eventual crucifixion upside down.

Reflecting in the silence of Peter's prison cell, I found myself admiring his relatable humanity. He was known for his impulsiveness, his doubts, and his moments of fear, even denying Jesus. Yet, he also demonstrated an unwavering love for God and an ultimate dedication to the Good News, witnessing to his faith even unto death.

Peter's story is a profound source of encouragement for me. It reminds us that doubt and fear are part of the human experience. What truly matters is our love for God and allowing Him to be the wellspring of our lives. When we do this, we too can accomplish remarkable things in God, through God and with God, just as St. Peter did.

Let us talk a moment, through the intercession of St Peter, to thank God for the gifts we have recieved, especially the gift of faith and the gift of His Son Jesus Christ.

Peter Tran

Making my way through the Palace of the Popes, I reflected on papal history, and what can't be unseen is that it's tainted by the influence of fallen human nature. Yet, amid all that chaos, the Holy Spirit remains, guiding the Catholic Church, working with not only the Good popes but also with the controversial ones. For it was Christ's promise: "You are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it." (Mat 16:18). I thank God for the great Popes, who are the Good Shepherds that have really given their all for the Church, who provide the faithful hope and certainty that God will not abandon the Church! We pray for Pope Leo in this Glorious Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul that he may continue to lead Christ's Church always in unity with the Holy Spirit.

Pablo Parajo

Despite the chaos that can occur in Paris, we were fortunate to spend some moments of prayer before Our Lord. We shared some intimate time particularly with St Vincent de Paul, St Catherine Labouré and St Margaret Mary Alacoque. Saints whom we can learn and model from, as we continue to mould our hearts to the Heart of Christ.

AMDG+

This is our final day before our departure returning to Australia. The heat of France during Summer could not stop us from visiting a small, countryside, yet famous parish - Ars. This is the place where St John Vianney was ministering to the people as a priest for over 40 years.

Visiting the place of the Saint, I was invited to contemplate and encounter the Saint through stories about him, in the place where he was once living and now continues to be present in spirit. And I am touched by stories about his deep love for the Eucharist.

For St John Vianney, the Eucharist was not just a part of the Mass—it was the very heart of his life and ministry.

He once said, “There is nothing so great as the Eucharist. If God had something more precious, He would have given it to us.” This reveals how clearly he understood the Eucharist as the true presence of Jesus Christ—Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. It wasn’t a symbol for him; it was Jesus Himself.

St John Vianney would spend hours each day in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament. People would often find him kneeling before the tabernacle, silent and still, completely absorbed in prayer.

He celebrated Mass with great reverence, often with tears in his eyes. His love for the Eucharist was contagious—people from all over France came to Ars, not just to hear him preach or go to confession, but to witness how he lived the Mass with his whole life. For him, the Eucharist was not just a part of his faith—it was his faith, the very heart of everything he believed and lived.

In his preaching, he often reminded people that Jesus was truly present in the Eucharist. In one homily, he said: “When we go before the Blessed Sacrament, let us open our heart; our good God will open His. We shall go to Him; He will come to us.” He wanted people—young and old—to know that going to Jesus in the Eucharist was like visiting a friend who always welcomes you with love.

St John Vianney shows me that the Eucharist is not just something I receive, but Someone I encounter.

Having read till now, I would love to ask you a question to reflect on: what is the Eucharist for you?

Peter Tran

Everything seems to have quieted down: no more hurried footsteps, no more snapshots capturing where we have been. All that remains is a deep sense of gratitude, settling quietly in our hearts.

Each place we passed through: the Vatican, the Eternal City, Florence, Assisi, Paris, Avignon, Ars… is no longer just a name on the map. They have become vivid memories in our hearts, moments where we touched something sacred and profound.

Pilgrimage is not merely about checking in at famous sites. It is a journey of encounter - an encounter with God and with our true selves, found in the beauty, in the stillness, and in the struggles along the way. More than that, it has been a journey of faith, sustained by hope: that even through challenges and hardships, we are never alone — God walks with us, and He is also our destination. With that, everything somehow feels lighter and more peaceful.

Though the pilgrimage has come to an end, a quiet hope remains in each of us: that something within our hearts will stay open as we return to daily life.

Quy Tran