Pilgrim Blog 31 - Getting to the Vigil Site on Saturday

On the Saturday (5 Aug), after breakfast, we received a blessing from Bishop Randazzo over all the Broken Bay pilgrims.​

Bishop Randazzo beginning the blessing of the pilgrims ~ Vincent Cavanagh ©2023

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At the end gave us his advice, as a fellow introvert — "you wouldn't think so" — for dealing with the impending Sensory Overload: take deep breaths, while saying the name of Jesus as you do so.

Given the growing heat of the day, and the lingering exhaustion from previous days, I took the opportunity to go on ahead to the Vigil site with the advance team, rather than end up passing out on the 15 km walk to Tejo Park. Irrespective of in-built breaks to the walk, I had no stamina to chance it.

Pope Francis' convoy (white crossover SUV) returning from his visit to Fátima ~ Vincent Cavanagh ©2023

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On the ride-share towards the Vigil site, we were passed by the Papal Convoy returning from Pope Francis' visit to Fátima. He went to Fátima earlier that morning to pray the Rosary with young people who have special needs. There’s a news report on Instagram that says a young woman with blindness sincerely asked God to heal her of blindness as she prayed that Rosary at Fátima with the Pope, and she was healed.

A contingent of French pilgrims making their way to Tejo Park, view from inside the uber ~ Vincent Cavanagh ©2023

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Due to the crowds and blocked roads, we continued our way on foot to our designated spot near the WYD Stage/Altar. On my pilgrim credential in large, big black letters is A05, which is code for which area at the Vigil site I needed to go to (the green section in the Vigil site map shown below).

WYD Vigil site map from the official WYD Lisbon website ~ ©JMJ Lisboa 2023

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Please don't be under any illusions, just because we got there early doesn't mean that what we were doing was any less penitential than the tens of thousands of people trekking all the way from central Lisbon.

On duty keeping the tarpaulin from flying away ~ Vincent Cavanagh ©2023

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Sitting on the ground, with only an umbrella for shade, guarding a near tennis court–sized tarpaulin for your diocesan group against other encroaching dioceses is not fun. Especially not when you're sitting under the Iberian sun for up to 6 hours waiting for all of our Broken Bay pilgrims to finish arriving.
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The current plan, to do the events at the Vigil site justice, is to write about them once I get home [ed. ~ one-year later!]. Unless windows of time open up while I am travelling home, 10-12 Aug, the writing will have to wait until the following week.

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Vincent Cavanagh   #bbwyd
#wydlisbon   #wyd2023   #lisboa2023
9 Aug 2023, 7.47am Portugal | 9 Aug 2023, 4.47pm Sydney

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