This honour means that Casey will be one of only five Australians - of the 3,000 Aussie pilgrims - to be up on stage with Pope Francis during the Vigil Mass, the biggest event of WYD.

“When I found out about the opportunity to go on stage at the Vigil Mass for WYD, I felt extremely overwhelmed and blessed,” Casey said.

“It is an amazing opportunity I have been given by the Wilcannia-Forbes Diocese and I have a lot to be thankful for.

“I’m really excited … it will be an amazing experience and something wonderful to do as a teacher of Catholic education.”

Wilcannia-Forbes Diocese WYD 2016 organiser Shannon Haase said Casey is very deserving of the honour.

“When Casey was told that the diocese had chosen her to be present on the altar during the Vigil Mass, she was overwhelmed and her eyes filled with tears of joy,” Ms Haase said.

“She is a beautiful girl who has fully embraced the WYD pilgrimage and deserves this special honour, we are all so happy for her.”

Casey, a teacher at St Patrick’s School Trundle, is one of 40 educators and parishioners aged between 16 and 35 from the Wilcannia-Forbes Diocese making the pilgrimage to Poland for WYD 2016 next month.

The group includes three teachers from St Laurence’s Parish School – Liz Horan, Ali Nunn and Peter Nunn – plus principal Paula Leadbitter who is a member of the pilgrimage leadership team.

Last Sunday morning, the pilgrims from across the Diocese of Wilcannia-Forbes gathered at St Laurence’s Catholic Church to celebrate Mass and receive a special blessing, before undertaking their trip of a lifetime in July.

This is the first time the Diocese of Wilcannia-Forbes will be represented by their own contingent at World Youth Day.

WYD is a week-long festival of faith where millions of youth from around the world join Pope Francis and celebrate their spirituality.

Held in a different country around the world every four years, it is now the largest regular gathering of young people in the world.

Wilcannia-Forbes Diocese WYD 2016 organiser Shannon Haase has travelled to two former World Youth Days and said it is distinct from any other gathering in the Church and any other gathering in culture.

“The experience of celebrating a faith that you have with millions of other people, standing side-by-side with you, is truly something special, and I can’t wait for the youth of Wilcannia-Forbes to experience it too,” she said.

“I am really proud of our group, it is a real honour to be a part of.

“We have young people from as far as Broken Hill, Bourke and Deniliquin.

“Our formation weekends have been invaluable and created a really strong bond in the group. We are all prepared and very excited.”

The pilgrims have the honour of being accompanied by Bishop Columba Macbeth-Green, who as a young man joined the religious Order of St Paul the First Hermit, whose headquarters are based in Poland.

Bishop Columba is one of only three Bishops in his Religious Order worldwide, and this gives him the privilege of celebrating Mass with the Wilcannia-Forbes pilgrims in the Chapel of the Black Madonna, which is not a available to the public. Bishop Columba will then take the pilgrims to the Shrine in Jasnagora, Czestochowa, where Bishop Columba’s Order are the caretakers.

Catholic Education Office assistant director mission and religious leader, Therese Newell, will travel with the pilgrims and is thrilled that so many young people from across the diocese have chosen to participate.

“WYD is a wonderful opportunity for the youth of Wilcannia-Forbes Diocese to experience a country of strong faith,” Ms Newell said.

“In Poland we will find many opportunities to enrich our own faith.

“We are all looking forward to returning and sharing our experiences with everyone across the diocese.”

As part of their trip, the Wilcannia-Forbes group will visit sacred religious sites and icons, as well as participate in all World Youth Day events.

They will end their journey with a four-day spiritual retreat in the mountains.

The group will depart Sydney on Friday, July 15, and return to Australia on Saturday, August 6.