Go to World Youth Day

I was going to attend the Final Mass yesterday (Sunday) but circumstances prevented me from going. It’s such a pity..oh well. I’ll be sure to attend the next WYD regardless of where it will be held.

I’ve decided not to go. Why?
Well, I’m not Catholic, I’m Protestant and I don’t subscribe to a number of their beliefs and doctrines. Also, it is absolutely congested in the city with over 250,000 pilgrims frolicking about. I may attend the Final Mass on Sunday but otherwise, I think I’m better off just attending church as I would do any other Sunday. Anyway, the Pope sort of looks like a sith. I don’t understand what the big deal is, the Pope is just a regular human being like the other six billion people that populate this earth. I personally do not view him as God’s vessel to all Christians.

Well, World Youth Day ‘08 will be in my city, Sydney, so I definitely don’t want to miss out on the chance of attending WYD for the first time! Although I am not of the Catholic faith (I am Christian-Protestant), I am desperate to go nonetheless! I’m particularly interested in the events that will take place from Friday 18th July to Sunday 20th July. Some highlights of the aforementioned days include:

Friday 18th – Stations of the Cross: A re-enactment of the last moments of Jesus’ life.

Saturday 19th – Evening Vigil with the Pope and sleep out ‘under the stars’.

Sunday 20th – Papal motorcade & Final Mass celebrated by the Pope.

Whens the next WYD cause I was only one year to young to go and I really wanted to go to Sydney’s.But anyone is fine and I was wonder the next year.

Well, it’s gonna be in Sydney, Australia. I pretty much gave up on it; but you never know…

I strongly recomend everyone to go at least once to a WYD meeting. I was in Rome in 2000 and in Cologne in 2005 and with some luck ill attend Sidney :) I missed Toronto though:(
Anyway this is one of the things u wont regret or forget i assure u! So go!

One of the best experiences you will ever have. If you ever get the opportunity to go then GO!!! you will NOT regret it!

This is a very long term goal. The next opportunity for this will be in 2008 in Australia. I suppose I should start planning now.

http://www.wyd2008.org/

Last year my parish priest and I led a pilgrimage of 52 youths to WYD with Pope Benedict to Cologne Germany. It was great!. The most wonderful part was that there were over 1 million people who gathered in Cologne , with the same purpouse We sang, danced, and had an amazing time just getting to know people who came to Cologne from all over the world! One of my newest best friends who I met there is from Kenya! Teenagers ( and us older folk) made friends there who will remain friends throughout our lifetime.

There are many wonderful moments that I experienced while in Cologne, but one sticks out – and I will share with all.

While waiting for The Holy Father to arrive at the Cologne Cathedral to give his welcoming speech, my group and about 100, 000 other people who got in and passed security were waiting in 102 degree heat for over 8 hours! space was limited, so we had to stand!!! now that’s alot of standing. THe fire department had to drive by and hose everyone down becasue people were falling from heat exhaustion. now, so what do you do for 8 hours?

Well, some wonderful people who were standing next to me and I decided to pray – What else :) that is what we were there for right? , so I got out my rosary, they got there’s out and we recited the rosary together-what was unique about our prayer cirlce, was that each of us was from a different country around the world – there was I ( USA) a person from Argentina, Italy, France and Poland – and each one of us led a decade of the rosary in our native tongue, while the rest replied in their native language. What we all learned : It doesnt’ matter where you live, who you are, what color your skin is….we are here to love one another, understand each other …and be grateful for what we have – no matter what.We love the same God ( maybe just show it differently) :) The beautiful part was that even though we didn’t speak each others language….we kind of did :)

Here’s to Sydney!

World Youth Day was undoubtedly the best experience of my entire life (thus far).