A group of James Sheahan Catholic High School students that will attend Catholic World Youth Day in Sydney in July were recognised by the entire school and wished luck on their journey.

In front of portraits of the students, Father Carl Mackander blessed 28 of the Sheahan contingent headed for Randwick, asking that they receive all they are seeking from the event.

“The father blessed them that they get as much as they could out of the World Youth Day .. the whole school community gave them a blessing,” assistant principal Simon Price said.

The students are among 40 people within the Bathurst diocese that will make their way to World Youth Day in July, a number that has been described as disappointing, but not in the eyes of the students.

They have described the event as being a bigger attraction than seeing the world’s top pop bands and are especially looking forward to the pilgrimage across Sydney Harbour Bridge.

The students were blessed as part of a larger school ceremony celebrating families and offering prayers for the Gersbach family following the death of Stephen Gersbach in a car accident on Friday.