Holy Cross College has a steadfast tradition of Pilgrimage, inspired by the journey of Bishop Rosendo Salvado.
In the mid-1800s, Bishop Salvado walked the long journey from Perth to New Norcia and back in order to facilitate the building of the New Norcia Benedictine Monastery and as part of commitment to build a mission and school for Indigenous students.
Inspired by these journeys, with the ultimate purpose to honour God, the tradition of pilgrimage has become an important one to our Faith Story at Holy Cross. Every year, our students embark on age-appropriate pilgrimages, fostering a deeper comprehension of and connection with spirituality, enriching their sense of community and nature.
The concept of pilgrimage finds resonance within our liturgical celebrations as well, enhancing our community’s interactions with God and imparting the narrative of faith across different eras of history.
Junior School Pilgrimages
Students from Kindergarten to Year 3 undertake their pilgrimages around the College grounds. Starting at the parish church, they visit the buildings and areas connected to the College Patron associated with their year level before finishing their pilgrimage at the Olive Grove, where they reflect on their journey.
In Year 4, students complete a section of the Camino Salvado – the journey from St Joseph’s Church in Subiaco to New Norcia that Bishop Salvado himself walked. Year 4 students also undertake the section within the Walyunga National Park. In Year 5, students walk in the footsteps of Ursula Frayne in Fremantle and Perth. Year 6 students remember the life and faith of Sister Irene McCormack with the Sisters of St Joseph Convent in South Perth as their destination.
Middle School and Senior School Pilgrimages
From Middle School onwards, students start working to complete the whole of the Camino Salvado in stages, commencing their walk in Subiaco in Year 7 and finalising it in Year 12, when they complete the last stage by walking into New Norcia. Students, and the accompanying staff and parent volunteers, receive a Pilgrim’s Passport which is stamped with a logo at the end of each stage. In undertaking the Camino Salvado, students experience a journey of spiritual reflection and renewal, encountering God, nature, others and self on their journey.
Camino de Santiago
The Camino de Santiago is an ancient network of pilgrimages in Europe leading to the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Spain. This journey is connected to Bishop Salvado’s story as one of the routes passes through his birthplace of Tui and he trained as a monk at the monastery in Santiago de Compostela.
In the past, Holy Cross College has been able to twice give Senior students the opportunity to embark on the section of the pilgrimage from Tui to Santiago de Compostela and we look forward to offering this life-changing experience again in the future.
Read more about how our Faith Story is enacted at Holy Cross College
