Welcome to the information, formation and resource page for the North Queensland Education pilgrimage to World Youth Day (WYD) in Lisbon, Portugal and the Holy Land, in August, 2023.

Pilgrimage offers pilgrims unique opportunities for spiritual renewal and wellbeing. Harvest Journeys will take pilgrims on a journey to sites where the physical meets the spiritual and the extraordinary enters the ordinary. They partner with the world’s best pilgrim ground-operators and guides who share a passion for the sacred and impart knowledge about holy and historical sites, expertise about local cuisine and customs, and provide a welcoming experience and unique care and insight at each stage of the journey.

Pilgrims will depart Australia from Brisbane on Saturday, 29 July for Portugal and return from Jerusalem on Wednesday, 16 August, arriving Brisbane Thursday 17 August, after journeying through Lisbon, Fatima, Bethlehem, Jericho, Dead Sea, Sea of Galilee, Nazareth, Cana, Mt Tabor, Caesarea Philippi, Mount of Beatitudes, Haifa, Mount Carmel, Caesarea Maritima and Jerusalem. 

Should you require further information please contact the Pilgrimage Coordinator Louise Vella-Cox on 0408 294 705 or lvellacox@tsv.catholic.org.au 

WYD Portugal Holy Land Pilgrimage ITINERARY

Travel info

Date Flight No. Departure City Departure Time Arrival City Arrival Time
Saturday 29 July EK435 Brisbane 9.00pm Dubai 5.10am (Sunday 30 July)
Sunday 30 July EK191 Dubai 7.25am Lisbon 12.35pm

Monday - 7th August

  • Departure from Lisbon at 01:00 am via coach to Madrid Airport (8-hour journey).
  • Flight departing from Madrid Airport - Iberia Airlines IB3980 at 11.40am 
  • Arrival Tel Aviv, Ben Gurion Airport at 5.25pm
Wednesday 16 August EK932 Tel Aviv 7.50pm Dubai 11.59pm
Thusday 17 August EK434 Dubai 10.35am Brisbane 6.25am Friday (18 Aug)

Accomodation

Date  
30 July - 7 August Ramada Hotel
Avenida Engenheiro Arantaes Oliveira #9
Lisbon
Tel +351 2 1843 4200
August 7-9

Manger Square Hotel
Manger Street,
Bethlehem
+970 2 277 8888

August 9-13 Ron Beach Hotel
Tiberias, Israel
Tel +972 4-679-1350
August 13-16 Ecce Homo Pilgrim House
Via Dolorosa 41, POB 19056
Jerusalem
+972 2-627-7292

Key People

Louise Vella-Cox
Pilgrimage Coordinator - TSV
E: lvellacox@tsv.catholic.edu.au
M: 0408 294 705

Ian Davis
Pilgrimage Coordinator - CNS
E: idavis@cns.catholic.edu.au
M: 0407 121 044

Fr Joseph Reddy Dondeti SVD
Chaplain
E: jrdondeti@tsv.catholic.org.au 
M: 0435 036 823

Key Events and Information

Opening Mass and WYD Vigil locations announced

At World Youth Day 23 in Lisbon, there will be more than 3000 pilgrims from across Australia.  Traditionally, there is an opportunity for Australian Pilgrims to gather and celebrate together.  

Date & Time:
Tuesday 1 August
Time: 2pm-4pm
Various Australian Bishops, pilgrims, and musicians Gen Bryant, Simon Hyland and Fr Rob Galea will be performing. 
Note: the Opening Mass is schedule to begin at 7pm. See transport information below which ensures a suitable arrival time at Parque Edwardo VII

Location:
Park Quinta das Conchashttps://goo.gl/maps/5FnaLrRmjTdckzsQA

Transport:
Quinta das Conchas train station is nearby (400m, 5 min walk): https://goo.gl/maps/e4ZsWMzS7xSEQtdt7
The train station is on the yellow line, and has a direct line to Marques de Pombal (station at Parque Edwardo VII) approx. 20 mins https://goo.gl/maps/kA9EBVt5dpMP3fP67
It may take several trains over an hour for all Australians to travel to the opening mass. (please note the yellow line if currently under maintenance and won’t show up on transport searches. Please allow another few days or a week before you review train times)

Travel Tips

Public Transport in Lisbon, Portugal

One of the best ways to discover Lisbon is on foot. It’s s often more stimulating to walk from one attraction to the next than use public transport.

How to Use Public Transport in Lisbon: The Complete Guide
Viva Viagem travel card

Overseas Power Tips

Here is some information for Power needs for Portugal  and Israel

Harvest Journeys Location Risks

Introduction

Harvest Journeys have assessed a variety of risks associated with the programme of pilgrimages that have been developed in conjunction with World Youth Day Lisbon 2023.

The risk assessments have been completed based upon the experience of the Harvest Journeys management team and leverage information provided by the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), and other publicly available travel risk, health and safety information. In addition, Harvest Journeys have long standing relationships with a network of ground transport and travel operators within each location that pilgrimages will visit and work closely with these operators to enable ‘on the ground’ risk and incident management takes place to ensure the safety of Pilgrims.

The following information is provided for information as at May 2023. Please note that this information is provided for guidance only and does not replace Australian or Foreign Government travel advice / warnings that may take place between now and the departure of pilgrimages.

Note: Covid-19 Advice

Please note, previous versions of this document included Covid specific health advice that has been removed due to a significant shift in the global travel and health position over the last 6-12 months. While border closures due to the pandemic would appear to present a much lower risk than previously, some countries still have healthcare systems under pressure in the period following very high Covid related hospitalisation rates. Similar health and well-being behaviour exercised in Australia should apply at all times while travelling.

Please read this Risk Assessment document as prepared by Harvest Journeys - View here

Local Diocesan Risk Assessment

The document reflects first, the work that Louise and I have done in relation to the general and possible risks we may face on our journey.

This section looks at the possible risks and how to manage them.  Again as we are all adults, you may know there are some that you need to take greater care with and some that will be specific to you personally.  You should consider these as well.

The second section of the document contains phone numbers for consulates in the countries we are going to and the current DFAT advice.  We are aware of protests in Jerusalem and the warning for Jericho and Bethlehem.  We are in contact with Harvest. They currently have 100 groups in the Holy Land, and we will follow their advice as they are currently on the ground and know exactly what is happening first hand.

Download here.