St Brigid’s Longreach A Jubilee Year Pilgrimage Site
02 May, 2025
Bishop Michael has declared St Brigid’s Longreach as an additional pilgrimage site for the Diocese of Rockhampton for the 2025 Jubilee Year. This will make a second pilgrimage site, joining St Joseph’s Cathedral, as a place where pilgrims can visit and pray for the Jubilee Year. From now until September, during the main western tourist season, pilgrims will be able to visit St Brigid’s Longreach to fulfil the pilgrimage for the Jubilee Year and obtain the plenary indulgence offered. Bishop Michael said “I am appreciative of the priests of the Central West who will be offering the Sacrament of Penance for the parishioners and the visitors to the Central West.”
A pilgrimage is a spiritual journey and often involves sacrifice of time, money and comfort in a demonstration of commitment to one’s faith. It is not just about the travel, it is a journey of the heart and soul, seeking to grow closer to God and experience him in new and unique ways. Catholic pilgrimage is a centuries old tradition that still happens to this day.
St Brigid’s Longreach was established as a parish in 1893 to serve the people who journeyed west for work. The Presentation Sisters journeyed west in faith in 1900 to begin teaching the Catholic faithful. The current St Brigid’s Church was opened in October 1957 and was opened by His Excellency the Apostolic Delegate Archbishop Romolo Carboni, with Archbishop Duhig and Bishop Tynan in attendance to serve the Catholic community of Longreach. St Brigid’s has been a place of gathering to welcome the faithful since then and continues to do so as part of this Jubilee Year for those who journey west.
As per the Bishop’s letter of February 2025, to obtain the plenary indulgence offered the following conditions must be met:
- Make a pilgrimage to a nominated pilgrimage site during the Jubilee year and should include time spent there in prayer. For our Diocese we now have St Joseph’s Cathedral, Rockhampton (all year) and St Brigid’s Longreach (until September) as pilgrimage sites.
- Receive the Sacrament of Penance (Confession) as close as possible to the time of the pilgrimage.
- Receive Holy Communion as close as possible to the time of the pilgrimage.
- Pray for the Pope’s intentions.
St Brigid’s Longreach is located at 103 Emu Street, Longreach. You can find further information for the parish on the Diocesan website – https://rok.catholic.net.au/parish/longreach-ilfracombe/, contacting the parish via details in their bulletin which is available on the Diocesan website or see their Facebook page – Central West QLD Catholic Church (https://www.facebook.com/CW.QLD.Catholic.Church)
