Launch Out: Lay leaders on pilgrimage

Archdiocesan News

Debbie Matheson

On 28 April the ‘Launch Out’ candidates gathered for their second Prayer Day Experience of the year. Presentation Sister Regina Daly led the candidates in meditation and contemplation exploring the themes of journey and pilgrimage.

They started the day journeying around the room to Enya’s song ‘Pilgrim’ before choosing a ‘Guided by Grace’ journey card to begin the day’s contemplation and sharing. The scripture passage Sr Regina chose for contemplation was Jesus’ interaction with the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:5-30). The candidates chose a coloured cut-out footprint on which they wrote ‘their journey today’ and later in the day ‘new possibilities from their journey’.

Sr Regina lead the group in an experience of Ignatian and centring prayer, guiding them into a picture of a labyrinth, where they were asked to acknowledge their different feelings as they journeyed to the centre of the labyrinth and back out again.

A video clip by Dewitt Jones drew the day together, encouraging ‘celebration of what is right with the world’ and inviting contemplation around being ‘best in the world’ or ‘best for the world’?

Some of the candidates expressed their experience of the day as ‘water for the soul’; ‘a journey, one step at a time’; ‘God’s presence now, in the future and in the water’; ‘what I brought to the well and what I took from it’.

The day finished with singing an Irish blessing while sprinkling each other with water from the ‘well of water’ that formed the physical centre of the Prayer Day Experience.

Launch Out candidates spend three prayer days and a weekend retreat together annually.  These are really important days of formation and deepen the prayer, spirituality and faith community that nurtures and challenges the candidates during their formation.

For more information about the Launch Out lay leadership formation programme, contact Joan McFetridge.