October 10, 2011. (Romereports.com) The pope will be traveling across town on October 19 for the opening of the Domus Australia in Rome. The Domus is meant to be a place of rest for pilgrims traveling to the Italian capital.

The Archbishop of Sydney, George Pell, will be in attendance as well as the rest of Australia's Catholic bishops.


Funding for the Domus Australia has been provided by the church in Australia, coming mainly from the dioceses of Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Lismore. The Vietnamese community of Sydney alone contributed 96,000 dollars for the construction.

The pilgrim center has 32 guest rooms surrounding a central courtyard as a meeting area. The chapel also includes a painting of Mary MacKillop, the first and only Australian saint.

AE
RR
HC
-BN