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Well, given that my 12 Months Later review of my social media exodus was read as more of a 2023 Review (which it was, to be fair) I might as well do another re-view for 2024 😅  'Silver screen' rising into position. Note the storm clouds in the background. 2024 was kicked off by going out with some fellow World Youth Day pilgrims to the Westpac OpenAir Cinema on the Fleet Steps overlooking Farm Cove and the rest of Sydney Harbour. The film we’d arranged to see was One Life (2023), a biographical film about humanitarian Nicholas Winton and more broadly about the Kindertransport of Jewish children from German-occupied Czechoslovakia to Britain at the beginning of World War II. This is hardly a film for the faint of heart and as if to accentuate this point we sat, in provided ponchos, for about the last two-thirds of the film under wave after wave of rain pouring over Sydney Harbour. Watching a film outdoors on Sydney Harbour in rolling rain running off my poncho-covered head is an experience I won’t soon forget. Speaking of World Youth Day Lisbon, much of 2024 was spent finishing off a 12-month voucher for photo printing by having a selection of my photos from 2023 physically printed and then arranged by me in a photo album. To mark the 1-year anniversary of the WYD Pilgrimage in July, I organized two get-together lunches for the Over 18s Pilgrim (Italy and Portugal) cohort which many appreciated. I cannot comment about my fellow pilgrims’ experiences. But for me, a year-and-a-half on from Lisbon I’m only just coming to grips with, and processing through, what we all went through over those 22 hectic days of pilgrimage across Mediterranean Europe. But I can say that, for having done it once, I at least have more of an idea of what to expect a second time around and how to manage things and myself better than I did the first time, please God.
In comparison to 2023: 2024 was an exponential increase of train trips, train festivals and rail heritage excursions with my father. Our travels took us north to the Hunter Region around Newcastle and as far south as Goulburn and the Southern Highlands. Indeed, there were many long days with very-early morning starts. But we enjoyed ourselves nonetheless, yet we were very tired by the end of those same days. September saw me travelling by airplane up to Brisbane for the IGNITE Conference 2024 organized by Emmanuel Community and its Ignite Youth ministry team. This was the real curveball of 2024 and it was my first ever experience of IGNITE.  Archbishop Mark Coleridge at the microphone. All the talks by various speakers that I went to were good and informative on different parts of the Catholic faith life. A special stand out was the Archbishop of Brisbane, Mark Coleridge’s talk on Encountering the Scriptures where he discussed how the bible “goes to the heart of hopelessness to find a hope that cannot be destroyed.” He truly enkindled in his audience a greater appreciation of “the black fire on white fire” as the Rabbis describe the Holy Scriptures.  Emmanuel Worship on stage, IGNITE Conference 2024 Brisbane. The rallies at IGNITE were experiences. There was much good in them, but by the end of the three-and-a-bit days I was ready to run back to my bunk-hole at home and not have another thousand decibels going right through my body. After attending IGNITE and commuting across Brisbane each morning and evening, it has confirmed to me that what’s needed is smaller and quieter events where good conversation can take place. There’s a place for the big events, as long as they are not the only option available.  Kodak M38 point-and-shoot camera arranged with Kodak UltraMax 400 speed film. On a less frazzled note, that same month I also started shooting 35mm film with a re-loadable plastic point-and-shoot camera. It has been a nice change of pace from taking photos with my smartphone. I don’t really know or have even an idea of what 2025 will bring, apart for the Jubilee Year of Hope that has just begun. Dear God, may this new year see an outpouring of Your love and of experiences of hopes and dreams fulfilled. Let’s see if there’ll be a 2025 Review, eh? Vincent Cavanagh 3 Jan 2025 Always be ready to make your defence to anyone who demands from you an account
of the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and reverence. ~ 1 Peter 3:15-16, NRSV Catholic
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This began at 3pm Lisbon time, 1 Aug 2023, at Parque da Quinta das Conchas e dos Lilases. It is the third largest public park in Lisbon, and originally the land belonged to two farms (quintas), one called ‘the Conchas’ and the other called ‘the Lilases’. To get there, we needed to travel by Lisbon Metro. Perhaps the reason this location was chosen, apart from its ability to host over 3000 pilgrims, is the presence of some eucalyptus trees that have been planted there.  On our way to board the Lisbon Metro ~ Vincent Cavanagh ©2023 As you can see, many of our pilgrims have come prepared with Australian flags and anything else uniquely Australian. We thought getting from the hotel to the Metro was going to be a rather simple process, until we came across the vehicle and pedestrian barriers that are part and parcel of crowd control at WYD. Eventually we found a route. At the Metro  On the platform waiting for the next Metro service to arrive ~ Vincent Cavanagh ©2023 Lisbon has several public transport options, metro, train, lift and bus. There are four lifts, with one vertical, and the rest what we would call funicular or cable cars. With the Metro there are four routes, each colour coded red, blue, yellow or green. They might drive on the wrong side of the road, but they drive on the correct side of the rails.  Australian Bishop line-up ~ Vincent Cavanagh ©2023 While we waited for the official parts of the Australian Gathering to begin, lots of catch-ups happened between friends and acquaintances from different dioceses. Apart from a pep talk, that’s what the Australian reunion is all about – reconnecting as an Australian family of believers and reducing any sense of isolation before facing the world. Eventually our bishops found a shady spot from which to view the stage. Maybe you can name the rest, but I can name only: bishop of Broken Bay, Archbishop Sydney, Archbishop Canberra-Goulburn, bishop of Wilcannia-Forbes, Auxiliary bishop of Sydney – Umbers (white baseball cap), Archbishop of Hobart.  Bishop Columba on stage, Lisbon, Portugal ~ Vincent Cavanagh ©2023 It was Bishop Columba Macbeth-Green’s task to give us a homily, on the theme of Jesus saying, ‘Who do you say I am?’. After him, Archbishop Comensoli announced that the next ACYF – Australian Catholic Youth Festival – was to be held in Melbourne in 2025, and further that Pope Francis had agreed to visit it. Vincent Cavanagh #bbwyd #wydlisbon #wyd2023 #lisboa2023 1 Aug 2023, 3.19pm Portugal | 2 Aug 2023, 12.19am Sydney |
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