After a short rest, the Engadine community (located 31 km to Sydney’s south) came together to celebrate Eucharist. Thanks to the generosity of one of the parishioners, the mass was celebrated with a brand-new Chalice and Paten that had been commissioned to celebrate the 100 year anniversary of the Salesians in Australia.

After lunch, there was a visit to St Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney’s CBD. St Mary’s is the oldest continuing place of Catholic worship in Australia and an extremely important figure in the life and mission of the Catholic Church in Australia. Fr. Ángel met with the Auxiliary Bishop Richard Umbers and both of them shared a lively discussion. Afterwards, the Bishop led a guided tour through the Cathedral, grounds and into the crypt.

The next stop on the itinerary for the Rector Major on the first day was Mary MacKillop place, an oasis of peace hidden amongst the hustle and bustle of the modern metropolis. A place of spirituality, education and hospitality, Mary MacKillop Place has a unique place in Australia’s history. At the centre of the place is the sacred resting place of St Mary MacKillop, Australia’s first saint canonized in 2010. She was a contemporary of Don Bosco and her focus on education for under-privileged young people gives her story many parallels to Don Bosco’s.

No doubt, the trip to downtown Sydney had a visit to two of Australia’s most internationally recognized icons; The Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House. The Sydney-based Salesians joined Fr. Ángel and the group for the supper, and thus concluded the first day of the Rector Major’s visit.

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