Bishop Murphy leads catechesis July 16 for English-speaking World Youth Day pilgrims at St. Thomas More Church in Campbelltown, Australia. TLIC photo/Mary Gorry

Sydney, Australia — It was a Long Island reunion on the other side of the world as the teens and young adults from the Diocese of Rockville Centre had several opportunities to meet up with Bishop William Murphy here for catechesis and Mass, and to share their World Youth Day experiences with him and with each other.

Bishop Murphy led catechesis at St. Thomas More Church in the Sydney suburb of Campbelltown on July 16 for the Long Islanders and other English-speaking pilgrims from Australia, Massachusetts, Austria, New Zealand, India, and Indonesia. The session began with praise and worship, and included eucharistic adoration, catechesis with the bishop — despite the fact that his notes were in a piece of lost luggage — and a chance for pilgrims to ask him questions on topics ranging from vocations to the celebration of Mass in Latin to how to keep young people involved in the local Church. The session concluded with Bishop Murphy celebrating Mass.

The Long Island pilgrims were surprised to find the bishop leading them in catechesis again on July 18 at the Sydney Exhibition Centre, where he spoke to all the pilgrims in the room about the importance of taking their World Youth Day experiences back to their homes with them. He called all the young people to be saints, and to remember that the challenges they face in life will test their faith, but will also make them stronger. “Crosses are not meant to overwhelm,” the bishop said, “but to help us discover the love in our heart.”

Bishop Murphy also celebrated Mass with the Long Islanders on July 19, before their pilgrimage walk through the streets of Sydney. Several of the teens and young adults joined the bishop for an Internet conference with those attending the World Youth Day retreat at Kellenberg Memorial High School in Uniondale July 18-20. (See page 9.)While it was Saturday morning for the bishop and pilgrims here, because of the 14-hour time difference, it was Friday night for the retreatants at home.

“It was really cool to see how amazing technology is,” said Erin MacBride, 17, of Curé of Ars Church in Merrick. “Most of the computer screen was the people we were talking to, but in the corner there was a smaller window of us that they were seeing. It was unbelievable to know that they were doing basically the same thing we were doing, just on a much smaller scale. They loved hearing from us. We got a lot of questions, and a lot of people here told them (World Youth Day) was a life-changing experience.”

“We’ve been incredibly blessed with Bishop Murphy’s presence among us,” noted Danielle LaRose, youth ministry leader from Curé of Ars Church in Merrick. “Every homily that he said, I soaked in like a sponge. It penetrated me so deeply and moved me.”

“I love our bishop, so I’m glad he was here,” said Dani Link, 18, of St. John the Baptist Church in Wading River. “He’s one of the coolest holy people I know.”

For slideshows from WYD events please click here