Diocese of Parramatta

Catholic Youth Parramatta facilitates the annual Diocesan Good Friday Night Walk. The overnight pilgrimage of young Catholics (aged 14-35) starts at St Patrick’s Church, Blacktown and ends at St Patrick’s Cathedral, Parramatta, passing through four additional churches along the route for prayer and reflection. The initiative has been supported by our partners and collaborators for over 10 years involving our parishes, youth leaders, multiple Councils, Local Area Police Commands and the Blacktown Division of St John’s Ambulance alongside the Diocese of Parramatta, Catholic Education Diocese of Parramatta and our private security team. Each year, the pilgrimage promotes a renewed source of faith, hope, and unity through the spiritual journey and lens of Holy Week. The 18km route begins at Blacktown Parish, and passes through Seven Hills Parish, Toongabbie Parish, Wentworthville Parish, Westmead Parish and ends at, the Cathedral in Parramatta.

After considerable and lengthy due diligence, the Good Friday Night Walk 2021 is grateful to have been granted an EXEMPTION by NSW Health.

As the initiative is not a fenced or seated public event in a controlled environment, to meet current regulations and the strict terms of the exemption, the following adaptions apply ONLY to this year’s pilgrimage.

1. The walk will be capped at 450 participants and 50 volunteers to meet the maximum number of 500 people;
2. The Good Friday Night Walk will be strictly a pre-booked online and ticketed event. QR code check-in on arrival will be required;
3. To accommodate significantly reduced numbers, registration will be limited to those who live in the Diocese of Parramatta. Please contact james.camden@parracatholic.org if you feel your circumstances are unique. i.e you are a teacher or youth minister/youth leader who lives outside, but works inside the Diocese or you attend a parish or school on the boundaries of the Diocese;
4. Registration will also be limited to those aged 14-35 unless you are supervising school students, a parish youth group or the guardian for someone aged 14-15;
5. A driver license may be required at check-in to support your place of residence and age;
6. All participants will be issued a coloured wrist band which divides the pilgrimage into groups of 50 for staggered departures and acts as a visual ticket for security and marshals to ensure no one has later joined the walk and increased our numbers;
7. There will be no food, drink or hospitality provided at any parishes. Please bring adequate water and snacks for the journey;
8. A condition of entry is that you carry your own hand sanitiser for the pilgrimage and use regularly and as needed;
9. Most stops at the Good Friday Night Walk will take place on an oval, school playground or carpark as the 2 square metre limit in church are too restrictive for our pilgrimage of 500 people; and
10. All participants must bring their own personal mobile phone and headphones with internet connectivity as our reflections will be led through Facebook Live to avoid noise and outdoor PA systems disturbing local communities.