One pupil’s perspective on ‘Share the Journey’.
A significant walk was planned to take place today, Friday 13th July, in Central London. The Education Team of the Westminster Diocese organised a fitting finale to CAFOD’s ‘Share the Journey’ campaign through a walk commencing at 11.00am from Westminster Cathedral and ending at CAFOD’s headquarters next to Southwark Cathedral – a round trip of three miles. They symbolically carried all the miles walked by all the schools with them, including our wonderful total of 571.5 miles. The solidarity campaign of walking to accompany refugees joined schools together nationwide and we, at St Augustine’s Priory, gladly participated with all children, together with staff and parents walking round the school grounds carrying a Lampedusa Cross.
Here, Melanie West, of Form III reports on what sharing the journey meant to her:
‘On Monday 18th June, Form IIIA went into the school grounds to walk a mile. However, this was no ordinary walk in the grounds – this was a special walk in solidarity with the millions of refugees who have had to flee their homes and take life–threatening risks to escape! We were also given a cross to carry with us, made from the wood used in a boat carrying refugees across the Mediterranean Sea, which sadly sunk, causing most of those on-board lives to be lost.
I feel that we need to talk about refugees more, especially with all the news and current affairs regarding refugees. In the week of the 12th June alone, Italy rejected not one, but two boatloads of refugees who were looking for a home. Moreover, may countries need to be more welcoming towards these people. For example, Hungary has entirely closed its doors to refugees and the vast majority of countries can do more to help the refugees, who have already been through so much hardship.
Nobody deserves to be treated like this and so I urge people to try and help in whatever way they can, because everyone is equal, and everyone deserves a home.’
