Year in Review 2025 Catholic Diocese of Sandhurst 33 The most popular pilgrimage sites for parish groups were the St Mary MacKillop Indigenous Garden and Heritage Trail and the Wahgunyah Mass Tree. At Numurkah, on Yorta Yorta Country, pilgrims explored the St Mary of the Cross MacKillop Indigenous Garden and Heritage Trail. Guided by local parish hosts, they prayed among native plantings, explored the history of St Mary MacKillop and the Josephite Sisters, and celebrated Mass together in the garden or at St John the Baptist Church. At Wahgunyah, the 600-year old red river gum that hosted the first Mass in the area in 1869 welcomed pilgrims from across the Diocese. Groups celebrated Mass at its base, walked the Murray river trail and shared picnics. The pilgrimage to the Mass Tree inspired Yarrawonga parishioners’ to journey to all five of the Sandhurst Pilgrimage Sites. To support pilgrims, the Office of Mission and Pastoral Life prepared prayer cards and ‘how to’ guides, helping every pilgrimage become an intentional journey. “Celebrating Mass under such a majestic and historic tree connected us to the spirit of the people who gathered for the first Mass there almost 150 years ago. It showed us that we can celebrate our faith together in community anywhere, and that is what keeps our faith alive.” Fr Junjun Amaya
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