My name is Yousif, and this July I'll be one of 35 young Catholics from Sydney on The Lion Pilgrimage, a 15-day formation journey through Turin, Florence, Siena, Assisi, and Rome, led by Bishop Anthony Percy, Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney, along with Byron and Francine Pirola.

Having been to Italy on pilgrimage before, I cannot emphasise enough that there is nothing quite like experiencing a country through a spiritual and cultural lens rather than just as a tourist. It changes you. It's the kind of experience every young adult should have at least once in their lives.

This pilgrimage isn't a holiday. It's a deliberate act of formation for young adults who feel called to impact Australia's public square whether that be in politics, law, medicine, education, and culture. Rooted in the four pillars of Catholic Social Teaching: the dignity of the human person, the common good, subsidiarity, and solidarity, this pilgrimage is shaping the next generation of leaders at a time when secular society is drifting further from a culture of life. These are young people who want to push back with faith, conviction, and genuine love for their country.

We are living in a time when the voices of faith in our public square have been shrinking. These 35 young pilgrims are choosing to do something about it.

For many of us, getting there means digging deep. The pilgrimage costs around $9,830 per person — flights, accommodation, daily Mass, guided touring, the lot. Most of us are students, young professionals, or simply people who are stretching their budget because they believe this is worth it. Every contribution from the outside makes that stretch a little more manageable and means more of us can focus on the formation rather than the finances.

St Jerome Emiliani, Founder of the Somascan Fathers, prayed that society would be restored to the sanctity of the apostolic age. I think this is one small, concrete way to help answer that prayer. You're not just helping young people get to Italy. You're investing in the kind of Catholics who will shape culture and policy for a better Australia.

Any contribution, no matter the size, goes a long way. Thank you and God bless.

Yousif