By Martina Juan
KUCHING — The Blessed Sacrament Parish’s Bible and Faith Formation (English Sunday School) organised its annual pilgrimage to the Gethsemane Pilgrimage Centre on 5 April 2025, an event usually done during the Lenten season.
The estimated 380 pilgrims comprised Sunday School and RCIA facilitators, Sunday School students and Catechumens, parents and BSC parishioners.
The weather was sunny, which was a blessing as it had rained the day before. Some pilgrims travelled using their own transport, but most of them preferred to go by bus, which was provided by the Sunday School.
As soon as the buses arrived at Gethsemane Centre at about 9.10 am, the pilgrims from the buses together with those who arrived in their own transport, were divided into groups of 20-25 pilgrims with two facilitators each, for the Stations of the Cross. Altogether, six groups were formed.
Holy Mass at 11.15am was presided by Parish rector Rev Fr Leonard Yap. The Church, St Jude, was filled to the brim, and the Mass went smoothly with commentator, reader, choir and music provided by our Sunday school students and facilitators involved. The Mass collection was given to the Pilgrimage Centre.
Fr Leonard read the Gospel from St John and in his homily, he talked about the meaning of LENT, to pray, to fast and to give. Fr Leonard reminded us that the Lenten Pilgrimage was for us, the followers of Christ, to experience the journey that our Lord Jesus had to take, to come out of our comfort zone, to take up our cross, to learn how to sacrifice, to fast and to do penance. He also talked about this year…we are to be Pilgrims of Hope.
After Mass, Fr Leonard and the congregation of pilgrims took a couple of group photos in the Church.
Lunch was around noon, prepared by the Lady’s Guild at the Gethsemane Pilgrimage Centre. The pilgrims, whether they brought their food or ate the food provided, were sitting in chairs and on the floor of the Dining Hall as shoes were not allowed. After lunch, pilgrims walked around the Centre compound.
Around 1 pm most pilgrims who came on their own began to leave. Those who came by buses also got on their allocated buses. The buses left Gethsemane around 1.15 pm and arrived back in BSC by approximately 3 pm.
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