Youth organise pilgrimage across chapels

Apr 25, 2025

By Bernard Anthony
After an 11-year hiatus, the youth ministry, from the Church of St Paul the Hermit, organised a pilgrimage. Led by Cyril Nevin, the group prayed the Way of the Cross (WotC) at 10 chapels within the parish’s jurisdiction, spread across Kuala Selangor.

This spiritual yet adventurous WotC pilgrimage, held under the theme Walking With Christ, drew around 65 youth and 80 parishioners, some of whom were members of the chapels being visited. Held on April 6, after the Sunday morning Mass, all participants gathered to pray the First Station at the Church of St Paul the Hermit. Earlier, Cyril and his youth leaders had briefed the group on the pilgrimage route. A Google Maps link was shared via WhatsApp to help them navigate from one chapel to the next, while lead cars guided the convoy to ensure a smooth and coordinated journey to each destination.

More than 25 cars took part in the ten-hour spiritual pilgrimage, which concluded at the Church of St Paul the Hermit. The programme wrapped up at 8.30pm after the prayer at the 14th Station, followed by reflections shared by three participants and a closing address delivered by Cyril and his team.

The Way of the Cross is a traditional devotion that honours the Passion and Crucifixion of Jesus, recalling the events of His journey from the Garden of Olives to Calvary. Journeying from chapel to chapel and praying the Stations together as a community — especially with the youth, not only deepened our awareness of Christ’s immense love for us but also renewed our hope. Through this spiritual exercise, we were reminded to embrace the Cross of Christ and to accept the small crosses in our own lives with joy and faith.

At each chapel, participants took turns leading the prayers. Through this devotion, the youth were reminded of God’s deep love for humanity and were encouraged to strengthen their faith.

Chapel committee members welcomed the pilgrims at every stop, greeting them with joy and love. For the fellowship, the youth group sponsored around 200 packets of vegetarian meals, which were shared and enjoyed during a lunch break at the Coalfields chapel.

At every chapel, a representative from the chapel briefed on the history of their chapel, allowing participants to better understand and appreciate the rich heritage of each place of worship.

The participants journeyed through Tennamaram, Minyak Estate, Nigel Gardener, Coalfields, Bukit Cherakah, Bukit Panjang, Assam Jawa, Kuala Selangor, and Taman Seri Kilat, before returning to Bestari Jaya. For some of the youth, it was their first time visiting certain chapels, especially those tucked deep within palm oil estates. This pilgrimage offered them a unique opportunity to discover and appreciate the history and significance of each chapel. Notably, one of the chapels stood in the ruins of the first church in Bestari Jaya, while another had been under renovation for the past five years, awaiting the resolution of certain issues.

By the end of the journey, parishioners expressed their gratitude to the youth for their initiative, dedication, and teamwork in organising the pilgrimage, made possible with the blessing of parish priest, Fr James Gabriel.

Many expressed hope that such a programme would become an annual tradition — not only to promote awareness of the chapels but also to foster a deeper sense of community through prayer and pilgrimage. There is also a growing desire for more chapels to hold monthly Masses and devotional prayers, encouraging greater spiritual use of these sacred spaces.