Carrying no bags, money, or walking staffs, more than 50 young Catholics from Pretoria took to the streets of Mbombela (Nelspruit) last weekend, leaving behind their everyday comforts to preach the Gospel on foot.
Organised by the Neocatechumenal Way, the street pilgrimage mirrored the biblical sending of the apostles in the Gospel of Luke (Luke 10:4). Armed only with guitars, testimonies, and songs, the group engaged locals across Mbombela in open-air encounters aimed at sharing the core message of the Christian faith.
The mission aligned with October Mission Month 2026, which marks the 100th anniversary of the establishment of World Mission Sunday. Celebrating this year’s theme, “One in Christ, United in Mission,” the group was joined by seminarians from the Redemptoris Mater Seminary in Cape Town and the Franciscan Missionary Sisters from St Peter’s School.
For the organisers, the outreach served both a immediate pastoral purpose and a long-term goal: preparing the youth for World Youth Day (WYD) 2027 in Seoul, South Korea.
“This pilgrimage is a dress rehearsal to prepare all of us for WYD Seoul 2027,” said Fr Juan Andrés, a Guatemalan missionary who accompanied the youth alongside Italian catechists Francesco and Stefania Giliberti. “The goal is to learn today what it means to be sent — leaving behind securities to proclaim that faith is not merely a theory, but an experience capable of filling life with meaning.”
Throughout the weekend, the young pilgrims held spontaneous street meetings, sharing personal testimonies of faith with passersby and striking up conversations with intrigued locals.
Organisers described the weekend as a success, noting that the visible joy and intentional simplicity of the youth prompted numerous residents to stop and ask about the source of their conviction.
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