Lots of WYD updates

A lot of blanks have been filled in from last Friday to Tuesday on the blog below. Lots of pictures, too. Scroll down and check it out!

Share your World Youth Day experiences here!

NOTE ON READING THE WYD BLOGS

Only the most recent postings show up on the home page of this blog. To read all of them, go to the month menu on the right and choose July 2008. It will reload the page with all of the posts.

Thanks for reading. We hope this has given you at least a glimpse of our experience Down Under!

Links to all papal addresses and homilies

We've been asked where one can go to find an archive of the addresses and homilies the pope has given while in World Youth Day. You can read them all here.

If you have a favorite one, feel free to share it with us in the comment section.

Random notes on the final day of our WYD travels

TUESDAY, JULY 22

A couple of notes after arriving back in Denver...

-- Because it was David Hall's birthday, there was a constant reminder in the form of the group singing "Happy Birthday" many times throughout the 30-plus hour journey.

-- The pilot of our first flight, from Sydney to Seoul, took a couple of minutes after we boarded to welcome us and share his thoughts on World Youth Day. He said he'd never seen anything like it, was very impressed and moved by it and he congratulated everyone on a memorable week. The plane erupted into applause and cheering. As the pilot gave his final message to prepare for landing, he touched on WYD again, encouraging everyone to go back and make the world a better place. I was quite moved by all of this. Let's say a quick prayer of thanks for this pilot!

So we're back and will be processing this experience for some time to come. I hope to share some of those reflections in the Aug. 1 Herald and here on the blog. And now it's time to reacclimate to the time change...

Safely returned and sent forth to proclaim the Good News!

We made it back in one piece, albeit a few folks with swollen feet, after about 27 hours straight of flying broken up only by a couple of 90-minute layovers in Seoul and Los Angeles. My group arrived back in Denver around 9:30 and a second group was scheduled to come in around 11 p.m.

Tomorrow, I'll try to fill in some gaps between the last recap post and the final full day in Sydney. Got so many pictures and stories to tell. Some will go here and some will go in the Aug. 1 Herald.

One cool note that I wanted to repeat from Beverly Martin, diocesan director of evangelization and catechesis, about the Bishop Sheridan audio catechesis sessions that we've posted below:

I would like everyone to know that if you listen to this talk by the bishop, the Q & As from the people, and the Bishop's homily, you may receive 1 hour of Theology credit. Enjoy!

So I'm wondering... if they listen to both days, do they get two hours?

[UPDATE: Beverly responds!

Actually, you may receive 1.5 hours for each Catechetical session that the Bishop had - for a total of 3 hours Theology credit for the two times Bishop Sheridan talked, took Q & As, and had a short homily. The sessions were excellent!]

More WYD pix from July 20

Click on pictures to enlarge them.

The masses return to their lodgings after the conclusion of the World Youth Day Closing Mass July 20 in Sydney.

The Colorado Springs and Las Vegas pilgrims do a final count prior to exiting Randwick Racecourse.

Local pilgrims listen to the pope issue farewell words after the conclusion of the closing Mass.

Curious onlookers got a decent look at the proceedings from a fence outside the grounds.

(All Herald photos by Bill Howard)

More WYD pix from July 19

Click on all pictures on blog for larger versions.

Once we passed through the security check at Randwick Racecourse, we entered a food line where we turned in a ticket for a bag that included dinner and breakfast.

Bishop Sheridan waves goodbye to his pilgrim group after the Mass for U.S. pilgrims.

A marching band from China performs for pilgrims along George Street in downtown Sydney during the walk to Randwick Racecourse.

Pilgrims jam George Street en route to Randwick Racecourse.

A sliver of the overall crowd is shone with lit candles during the papal vigil at Randwick Racecourse.

(All Herald photos by Bill Howard)

WYD Closing Recap (Days 9-11)

All hands are in for a cheer prior to heading back to gather their gear for the pilgrim walk to Randwick Racecourse on July 19.

(Herald photo by Bill Howard)

The Mass for U.S. pilgrims celebrated by U.S. bishops in attendance at World Youth Day July 19 at The Domain park.

(Herald photo by Bill Howard)

Bishop Michael Sheridan mingles with pilgrims from Ave Maria Parish in Parker after the Mass for U.S. pilgrims July 19 in Sydney. (Herald photo by Bill Howard)

Pilgrims go to confession at and pray in the adoration chapel at Randwick Racecourse prior to the papal vigil July 19 at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney. (Herald photo by Bill Howard)

Colorado Springs and Las Vegas pilgrims pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet after setting up their sleeping bags at Randwick Racecourse July 19 in Sydney. (Herald photo by Bill Howard)

A candle shrine develops along the railing by the Colorado Springs/Las Vegas pilgrim group's camping site before the papal vigil begins July 19 at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney. (Photo courtesy of Sarah Sanborn)

Sorry for the lack of blogging during what was essentially the climax of World Youth Day for everyone there... the vigil and closing Mass at Randwick Racecourse. I'll try to encapsulate those days over a few posts with some pictures.

SATURDAY, JULY 19

We began our morning by marching up to The Domain, a park near St. Mary's Cathedral where our pilgrimage group saw the popemobile the previous night. The U.S. bishops in attendance wanted to have a special celebration of the Mass for U.S. pilgrims, and there were several thousand people in attendance. After the Mass, we headed to our hotel to get ready for the pilgrim walk to Randwick Racecourse for the evening vigil and closing Mass tomorrow.

Our hotel was situated right along the pilgrim route, so it was great to strap on our packs and just melt our group in with the massive, flowing river of people. Also in front of our hotel was a little clearing space between streets and a marching band from China had set up in their blue outfits to play for all of the pilgrims as they marched by. You can hear a snippet of what they were playing here. They were also promoting a non-profit organization trying to call attention to human rights abuses in that country. Several members of the group were lined up along the route passing out pamphlets.

It's a good thing we live in Colorado, because the march to Randwick was full of steep climbs on some of the streets. Trying to have a group of 80 pilgrims from different ages keep up together was a challenge that Father Carmody tackled. Holding up the group mascot, Wilson the volleyball (everyone else had flags... we had Wilson), the group would reconvene for a quick rest every 5-10 minutes.

The camaraderie on the walk was great... everyone just having a good time, singing and meeting pilgrims from other countries. Those who have been to previous World Youth Days know what I mean. It took us about 90 minutes to get to Randwick, where we already had our camping spot preselected. It was an OK location... we were in the middle of the action, but we did not have a clear view of the stage, which was directly in front of us a few football fields away. We could see most of it, but the area with the altar and pope's chair was blocked by tents and scaffolding. The nearest jumbotron was also partially obstructed, so the group had to listen. Some brought radios that gave them a clearer sound rather than rely on the echoing speakers. Still, it was an impressive sight to see 400,000 people filing into this enormous place. What I didn't know before arriving there was that we were treading on sacred ground. At that very site, Pope Paul VI celebrated Mass when he was the first pope to visit Australia in 1970. Also, Pope John Paul II celebrated Mass there twice -- first during a visit in 1986 and then again for Blessed Mary McKillop's beatification Mass in 1995.

The vigil itself was awesome... maybe my favorite event of the entire week. As the sun set and temperatures cooled down to the 40s, candles were lit across the racecourse. By then, I had made a move over to the media section about 200 meters to the left of the stage so that I could get better pictures. I was about six rows up out of 12 rows in the media tribune area, and I was able to get an amazing view of the racetrack lit up with hundreds of thousands of candles by the time the pope arrived. Whenever the program called for a song, you saw many of those candles swaying back and forth in different directions.

One neat side note, behind the media area was a sliver of general access ground for pilgrims, and out there was a large eucharistic adoration tent (with priests on hand for confession, too) set up by the Missionaries of Charity. They were also lined up outside the tent handing out little pictures of their founder, Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, as well as Blessed Teresa medals and miraculous medals. One nun scooped up a bunch and poured them into my hand, which was a very kind gesture. The tent was heated with gas lamps so it was hard to find a place to pray with some people praying and others trying to crash in the heated tent and sleep in front of Our Lord. But that was the first time in the entire week when I felt I really had been able to let go of everything -- the stresses of getting from one place to another, the stresses of making sure I got what I wanted for the Herald, etc... -- and just feel some solitary peace with Our Lord. After about 20 minutes, I had to venture back up to the media area for the start of the vigil.

The pope's message was very powerful. He has such a firm, gentle speaking style that I hope many seek out the text of what he said (with his strong German accent, some of it was heard to hear through the massive speaker system). He called the world we live in "divided" and "fragmented" by relativism and tainted with a "short-sighted" way of thinking that pushes God out of the picture when trying to discern just what the "truth" is that we should seek. He addressed those who would say the Catholic Church cannot be a professor of truth due to the sins of its members (which subtly addressed the abuse of children by a minority of priests over the past few decades) and those who ignore the teachings and traditions of the church and try to create a Catholic Church in their own image and desires (read: cafeteria Catholicism).

... In the face of imperfections and disappointments -- both individual and institutional -- we are sometimes tempted to construct artificially a "perfect" community. That temptation is not new. The history of the Church includes many examples of attempts to bypass or override human weaknesses or failures in order to create a perfect unity, a spiritual utopia. Such attempts to construct unity in fact undermine it! To separate the Holy Spirit from Christ present in the Church's institutional structure would compromise the unity of the Christian community, which is precisely the Spirit's gift! It would betray the nature of the church as the living temple of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Father has mentioned several times in his visit the importance of having parents and grandparents as role models in the faith and in life. He touched on that again today, no doubt also challenging the older pilgrims (of which there were many) to shape up their ships before they can help lead their younger ones. At the end of his vigil message, Pope Benedict challenged the youth to make a concerted effort to see the Holy Spirit at work in their lives and in others' lives.

Just as the Church travels the same journey with all humanity, so too you are called to exercise the Spirit's gifts amidst the ups and downs of your daily life. Let your faith mature through your studies, work, sport, music and art. Let it be sustained by prayer and nurtured by the sacraments, and thus be a source of inspiration and help to those around you. In the end, life is not about accumulation. it is much more than success. To be truly alive is to be transformed from within, open to the energy of God's love. In accepting the power of the Holy Spirit, you too can transform your families, communities and nations. Set free the gifts! Let wisdom, courage, awe and reverence be the marks of greatness!

The vigil closed with about 20 minutes of adoration and benediction. I must say this was the highlight of the night. To see the pope kneeling in adoration in front of a candle-lit, dead-silent crowd of 400,000 is really hard to put into words. Because I had a lot of equipment with me and I didn't want to risk leaving it out overnight (with a slight chance of showers in the forecast), I took a bus back to our hotel. While that was taking place, our awesome Colorado Springs and Las Vegas pilgrims were busy building a shrine of sorts with all of their candles. What started out as a few candles bunched together turned into an enormous row of candles, drawing the interest and adoration of lots of other pilgrims -- and some media, too.

SUNDAY, JULY 20

The pope did a flyover of the scene via helicopter around 8:45 a.m. and then touched down after about 20-30 minutes so that he could get into the popemobile and make some rounds of the Randwick gathering. The popemobile did not travel as far back as where our group was situated, but it was a massive place so it is understandable that he could only move around the front area before needing to get ready for Mass.

The pope was visibly energized during the Mass and one could only imagine what was going through the hearts of the 20 young adults who were confirmed by the Holy Father during Mass. I thought it was awesome to focus on confirmation because for many Catholics, I think it is an overlooked part of one's spiritual life. I wish I could say I remember much about my confirmation, but I don't. I vaguely saw it as I should... as a time when, as an adult, we mature in our understanding of the gifts we received at baptism and have a renewed fire to be Christ to others in the world. Seeing this confirmation take place at the closing Mass served as a visible example of what we have been reflecting on all week as regards the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives. It caused us to revisit our own confirmations. Essentially the Holy Father was saying, if we didn't take ours very seriously then we could start now.

After Mass, the pope recited the Angelus with the crowd and gave his weekly Angelus message. He then announced that the next World Youth Day will be in Madrid, Spain, in 2011. After that, he said goodbye and hopped into a car to head back to St. Mary's Cathedral, where he has been staying. Then began the task of getting out of Randwick. It took us about an hour to get organized and through the gate back onto the streets. Once we got past the initial bottleneck near the racecourse, we made great time getting back to the hotel... just under an hour. Everyone darted to their rooms for showers and rest before heading out to dinner. I, Chuck Maher and his son Evan chose to use that time by hopping back on the city train and heading out to Olympic Park (about 20 minutes outside Sydney proper) to catch a National Rugby League (their main pro league) matchup between the South Sydney Rabbitohs and the Wests Storm. While I have loved being immersed in all things World Youth Day, I desperately wanted to see a pro rugby game and this was one of two chances (the other being a game in nearby Manly Island the previous night). Loved the Rabbitohs name and their uniform (green and red stripes) but they were no match for the larger Wests team, which beat them up pretty good. Pilgrims were allowed in for free, so it there was a crowd of nearly 22,000 there, making for a great atmosphere.

MONDAY, July 21

Today was a free day and our contingent dispersed to do various things -- visit the Sydney Opera House, take the Manly ferry, tour St. Mary's Cathedral, grab some souvenirs, possibly see "The Dark Knight" at the nearby IMAX theater, or just walk around downtown Sydney. It was a but sad that a lot of things were already being dissambled. The merchandise tents (which I admit had a lot of cool things, from sharp scarves and winter hats to a funny Benedetto-16 rugby shirt) were already shut down and disassembled. and all of the other tents that had been brimming with pilgrims either going to confession or getting food were also shut down and empty. It was much quieter, which began to finally drive home the reality in our group that our amazing time here was coming to an end. There were still quite a few pilgrims that remained for an extra day as we did, so it wasn't totally dead. You still heard the ocassional pilgrim group march by singing and playing guitars and drums, which warmed the heart on what was the coldest, most overcast day of the pilgrimage.

The only scheduled item was that we all met for dinner at 6:30 p.m. at a restaurant in the harbor. Regrettably, this was the best chance to get a group picture with the bishops (they weren't in the picture we took a few days earlier) but nobody remembered. I think everyone was just exhausted from an intense week. A light rain settled on us as we left the restaurant, causing us to pause and thank God that He gave us such beautiful weather throughout the week (and especially in the overnight vigil campout). We've been encouraged to go to bed ASAP since we have to be on the bus to go to the airport at 5 a.m. Then it's a 10-hour flight to Seoul, another 11-hour flight to Los Angeles and a final 2-hour flight to Los Angeles, with a couple of hours in between each to get through customs and to recheck our luggage at L.A. It's going to be a loooooong day, but I think the high from this week will carry us home. The Colorado Springs-Las Vegas group has been a lot of fun to be around. Oh yeah, tomorrow is also going to be the birthday of David Hall, the Ave Maria youth minister. He's going to a get 30-plus hour birthday... very cool.

WYD GUEST BLOGGER: Seminarian Jason Keas

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Jason is answering a couple of questions I asked him regarding his favorite moment and what he hopes to bring back to the U.S. - BH]

My most memorable moment was at the Religious and Seminarian Mass on Saturday morning. The Mass was beautiful, especially the music. I remember trying to get a good spot along the aisle in the back of St. Mary's Cathedral to see the Pope. When Pope Benedict arrived the crowd got very quiet, they didn't know what to do. I think some people started clapping and a group started shouting Benedetto. When I saw the Pope live, I had a feeling like I have never experienced before. I first couldn't believe he was in front of us and it felt like my heart went into my stomach and I had a feeling of joy that stayed with me for the rest of the day. When we left the mass a lady from Australia stopped up just to tell us to tell everyone we could the joy and peace the youth brought to Australia. She said a lot of people were scared that the youth would be causing a lot of trouble.

The time spent in Australia was good for us Seminarians. We had a chance to be together for something other than school. I think a deeper friendship was made during the long travels and time spent together. We had an opportunity to listen to our bishop speak during one of our catechism lessons for English speakers. I feel more grateful after listening to Bishop Sheridan; we rarely get to listen to talks given by him because we are in school most of the time. I feel like I got to know our Bishop more on this trip.

I hope to bring back to the diocese and the Seminary the joy I experienced, which is a true gift of the Holy Spirit. I hope we all can grow in bringing others to Christ by the Holy Spirit leading us.

WYD GUEST BLOGGER: Cathy Kusman

Thursday, July 17
Group had catechesis with Archbishop Vincent from England. He was WONDERFUL. Very relaxed and comfortable. He challenged us all “Have you thought about your relationship with the Holy Spirit?” and the probing question, “When did the church begin?”
Was it:
- When Mary said yes to the Angel, as she was covered with the Power of the Holy Spirit?
- The Last Supper?
- When Jesus said, “Do this in Memory of me?”
- Christ’s death on the cross, when we were given the ultimate gift of salvation?
- When Jesus gave his mother to John and from that moment on John took Mary as his own reminding us to develop relationships from His?
- When the soldier pushed the spear in Jesus side?
- When Jesus gave up his spirit for us.
- When the descent of the Holy Spirit in the upper room telling us to go out and teach the gospel?

All these teach us about the soul of the church & the Holy Spirit. The Church was started and instituted by Christ in his words, actions, death and resurrection. The Church is held together by the power of the Holy Spirit and is constituted by the Holy Spirit. What happens on the altar should touch us deeply each week. We should see beyond the bread and wine and see the presence of Christ. God’s love draws us to Himsef, making us a family. Every time we go to Mass, we gather as Christ’s family.

Friday, July 18
Catechesis with Bishop Sheridan and the WYD Stations of the Cross. Bishop Sheridan reminded us that sometimes the Holy Spirit is the forgotten person of the Trinity but is someone we should develop a relationship with. The Holy Spirit is a gift to each of us — God working in us. Young people should be the bearers of God’s love to others.

The Q&A time was DEEP. The audience asked some tough questions (much tougher than the other days of catechesis we have attended) and Bishop Sheridan did a great job. Topics included, why can’t women be priests; why can't priests be married; how do I live in a world where my friends are Christian or make fun of me? What words cn I say in my country where people are being killed for their faith? What can we do about the other faiths that are drawing Catholics from the faith with MONEY!?

STATIONS OF THE CROSS—Wow! I watched it on TV. SKYNEWS covered every minute of the event on tv. No commercials. It was BEAUTIFUL. The stations were re-created all over the city, starting with the pope at the cathedral and the Last Supper. I was disappointed we did not have an assigned ticket but after it was all said and done, I was pleased that I got to watch it all on TV. It was a beautiful event. It was two hours long & was at different locations all over the city from the Cathedral to the Opera House to Barangroo & Darling Harbor. AMAZING!

Saturday, July 19
The site of all the pilgrims leaving for the vigil and closing Mass was beautiful. To see 100,000 young people celebrating, singing, laughing, praying & walking -- proudly carrying their flags -- was a site to see. Young & old were in the walk thru the city of Sydney.

One of the youth was sick so I stayed back with them as the group left on the pilgrimage, I was sad in many ways not to be going along, but I watched it on TV. Again, Skynews covered the event on TV. The Evening Vigil with the Holy Father was amazingly beautiful. Our Colorado Springs Diocese did not have a good spot at Randwick Raceway sadly so they could see very little. The pope’s talk was about 20 minutes long. I want to get a transcript of it as it was very moving. The incorporation of the different cultures & countries into the vigil was very moving & beautiful. Seeing the 100,000 pilgrims in prayer before the Monstrance was a sight to see with all the candles burning. The pilgrims were touched by the experience as was I watching on tv.
It was a COLD night & the thought of sleeping outside did not make me as sad that I missed it. I did go to the little Catholic Church in Chinatown to reconciliation before the vigil service.

Sunday, July 20
We got up early (Carin was feeling somewhat better). We caught the bus to Randwick & then ‘pilgrimed’ ½ mile to the site. They were right.. you could not see anything, as we were far back & there was no jumbtron within viewing distance. But celebrating the Mass with our C/S pilgrims & the Holy Father made it all worthwhile, as we could hear it all just the same. There were 400,000+ people at the closing Mass with the Holy Father. He arrived by helicopter and drove thru the race track in the Popemobile before & after Mass. He gave a beautiful homily and there was incredible music.

Sadly MANY people left even before communion. To share in the sacrament of the Eucharist, consecrated by the Pope!! How could you leave early? We stayed until the end, except there were several people who were getting this ‘bug’ that was attacking the pilgrims. So Michelle got the sick ones on the bus right after Communion while the rest of us all walked back to Sydney, singing & celebrating. We arrived at our hotel and were all ready for a nap & a shower!

Monday, July 21
We had reservations for the tour at St. Mary's Cathedral but the pope was having a meeting to apologize to local abuse victims and then had a thank-you session with all the volunteers that helped with WYD. So we were on ALERT. Getting in after the Pope left for the airport was worth the wait. The Cathedral was a beautiful, spiritual sight. Also took a trip to the Opera House (you can’t go to Sydney without seeing the Opera House). It was COLD & WINDY but we were all so thankful for the week's beautiful weather, as we had such a great week for WYD. Many took a ferry ride to Manly Island for the afternoon or a visit to the Aquarium. So much to see & not enough time to see it all!

Tomorrow we say good bye to Sydney and our many new friends. We will travel 23 hours by plane ‘home’ -- living through Tuesday July 22nd TWICE!

WYD Message from Bishop Sheridan to C.S. Diocese

It's a shame I wasn't made aware of this until my Google newsfinder turned this up, but Bishop Sheridan recorded what looks like an impromptu special video message for the faithful of the Colorado Springs Diocese after his second catechesis session July 17. The video was done by My Catholic Voice.

Light blogging for the weekend

Sorry, but due to the arrangements at Randwick Racetrack, I will not be able to live blog from there with the pilgrims. So I'm going to try to resume blogging after everyone returns Sunday evening.

Please keep us in your prayers during this culmination of World Youth Day. It's going to be a cold one, too, but we'll be warm with the Spirit!

WYD AUDIO: Bishop Sheridan's July 18 Catechesis

A large crowd fills the Parkside Auditorium at the Sydney Convention Center for Bishop Sheridan's final catechesis talk July 18 in Sydney. (Herald photo by Bill Howard)

An Austrlian youth asks Bishop Sheridan a question about how to defend the faith around his non-religious friends.

(Herald photo by Bill Howard)

Below are audio streams of Bishop Sheridan's catechesis today, along with the Q&A and his brief Mass homily. The theme today was "Sent out into the world: the Holy Spirit, the principal agent of mission," with a key Scripture verse: "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses." (Acts 1:8). Mass readings were 1 Cor 9: 16-19 and Mt 28: 16-20.

You may need to turn the volume up a tad.

1. Main talk (w/ praise and worship introduction) (Approx. 30 minutes)

2. Q&A (Approx. 62 minutes) (Missing first 20 seconds of a JPII quote read by Bishop Sheridan)

3. Mass homily (with Gospel reading) (Appro. 5 minutes)

Media Center tour

For those wondering what the media center is like:

-- It takes up one of the five enormous exhibition halls in the Sydney Exhibition Center (the massive vocations fair is next door in another hall).

-- There are nine huge rows of tables, all set up with phones, Internet connections and electric outlets.

-- There are four sets of two flat screens staggered down the middle of the room where we can watch and listen to the official WYD video feed.

-- Around two sides of the hall are three rows of temporary studio booths, primarily for radio and television. The other two sides have a large press conference area, a business center if you need photocopies and printouts, and a lengthy area of media assistants who pass out the event passes and answer questions about arrangements.

-- In one corner is a 4-foot tall statue of St. Francis De Sales, the patron saint of journalists.

-- The media center has its own WYD gift shop, so you don't have to wait in long lines like at most sites.

-- There is a cafeteria in the back. Expect to pay $12 for a sandwich, drink and chips. Beer and wine are also sold there. There are vending machines that charge $3 for a 20 oz. soda/water bottle and $2.20-$3 for chips or candy. There are water coolers too, and they're amazingly free of charge.

-- On the side of one wall of offices (you can see it on the far right) are transcripts in several languages of all major speeches by the pope and dignitaries, as well as tons of fact sheets on those speakers, on the Catholic Church (since many secular media journalists are covering this) and miscellaneous topics (i.e. all you want to know about the popemobile).

-- On one wall, there are eight clocks keeping the time of: Sydney, the Vatican, Rome, Tokyo, New York, Los Angeles, Rio de Janeiro and London.

-- All media must pass through security screenings every time they enter the media center.

Another neat thing not at the center... for events at Barangaroo, we had a special ferry that shuttled us to near the back of the main stage/altar. One of my favorite memories from this week is hopping aboard it after an event and quietly absorbing the nightlights of Sydney all around me.

That's about all I have now after a quick glance around the room. The picture above was taken a few seconds ago. It's a bit empty since a bunch of photographers and writers have gone out to various Stations of the Cross sites. If I took this picture again three hours from now, it would be pretty full and hectic.

If there's anything you'd like to know about the media center, fire away.

WYD GUEST BLOGGER: Seminarian Jason Keas

Colorado Springs Seminarians Jason Keas and Brandon Smith soak in the atmosphere after the Opening Mass for World Youth Day July 16 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Jason Keas)

Last night I saw the Holy Father! After a long wait outside we never knew when he was going to come by us. When he did come, I experienced a feeling that he was close... a feeling of joy. Last night I had a chance to spend time in adoration and went to confession, which was great! This morning I walked early to the harbor before the catechesis site. It was great to spend some time to myself and reflect on the things that have been going on. One thing that touched me was hearing some people who were not Catholic and they were sharing about the lives of the saints. I couldn’t believe the reverence and knowledge they had, and they were not even Catholic. May Christ be Praised! -- Jason Keas

Make your own cutline

Oye! Adam Bull of St. Gabriel Parish and Greg Papineau of St. Paul Parish are taking to Australia quite well. (Herald photo by Bill Howard)

WYD DAY EIGHT: GUEST BLOGGERS

Rebecca Drake, Holy Family Parish, Security
There are several highlights from the pilgrimage to date. One of the major highlights was viewing Pope Benedict XVI yesterday! We patiently anticipated the Pope’s arrival for hours standing at a bypass in the road hoping that the police were candid about the Pope’s travel plans. After waiting for 3 hours, we saw the Pope wiz by and yet in those moments of viewing the Pope driving by, we were able to feel a sense of wonder and excitement knowing that we were viewing the predecessor of Peter. These moments were indescribable. Another highlight of the pilgrimage was singing the Divine Mercy Chaplet in the convention center as we were preparing for catecheses. It is so wonderful being surrounded by a group of Catholic youth experiencing a God moment where the Holy Spirit is felt so deeply!

Carin Kusman, Our Lady of the Pines Parish, Colorado Springs
After waiting for about 3 ½ hours, we finally saw the Pope (July 17)! It was amazing to see him and it was better than we all imagined. He was moving a little fast to take many pictures, but we were able to get a few. It was worth the long wait standing against the fence to see the Holy Father.

Evan Lombardi, Arvada
POPE MOBILE TRIVIA: Mercedes with Porsche engine. Goes from 0 to 100 mph in 6 seconds. Inside has 12 speakers & TVs it is fully automated inside. BMW offered to make a new one, but the Pope is happy with the Mercedes. To all of us it looked kinda small, but it really was a good size. This is the ORIGINAL Pope Mobile.

WYD GUEST BLOGGER: Seminarian Joe Dygert

Bishop Sheridan gives a World Youth Day catechetical reflection on the Holy Spirit at Sydney Exhibition Center July 18.

(Herald photo by Bill Howard)

Reflections on Bishop Sheridan’s talk on July 18

It is a great blessing to have a bishop who was for many years a teacher at a seminary. He explained things well and clearly in his talk. Three things in particular struck me: the reality of the Holy Spirit as a Person, the constancy of the presence of the gifts of the Holy Spirit at our Confirmation, and the joy of living our mission from the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is a Person. He did not become incarnate like the Son of God, and He is not named by a name like “Father” which immediately suggests a person to us. In the Scriptures, we see Him manifest Himself in the form of a dove, of tongues of flame, and with the power of a rushing wind. Nevertheless, He is none of these things. His action in us we experience like these natural things, with peace and energy and power, but He is distinct from His actions. He is a Person, with reason and will, and as a Person we can honor, obey, and passionately love Him.

When we receive Confirmation, it is not something that is over and done with. We are marked for life. We have the imprint of the Holy Spirit on our souls, and we have His gifts. We need to use these. It is easy to leave these gifts – wisdom, understanding, knowledge, counsel, fortitude, piety, and fear of the Lord – unopened, as it were, in such a way that they do us, the Church, and the world no good. The gifts of God are always given for a reason. We need to pray that God make this gifts active in us, and open ourselves to live according to them.

Finally, I was reminded by Bishop Sheridan’s talk that "the mission that is animated by the Holy Spirit is our joy.” I have found this to be very true in my life. I never wanted to be a seminarian, but the Holy Spirit never gave me peace trying to do something else, and finally I let go enough to enter the seminary. I have never experienced joy like I have in these last four years. I had run from the path that God had willed for me, and now I see that I was running from joy. Whatever He calls us to do, it is in living this vocation that our hearts find the hidden spring of His grace and finally drink the water of life. Don’t be afraid!

I write from the Convention Center in Sydney, in the midst of World Youth Day. It is a great blessing to be here. Know of my prayers for all those back in the diocese of Colorado Springs, and that as much as I love it here, I look forward to returning. God bless you.

Charles Joseph Dygert
Sydney, 2008

WYD GUEST BLOGGER: Cathy Kusman

The pope whizzes by in the popemobile near St. Mary's Cathedral on July 17. (Photo by Cathy Kusman)

Thursday recap... WE SAW THE POPE! It was worth the wait. We were at the front of the fence at the Cathedral ("The Domain" site), watched it on the Jumbotron & then here he came zooming down the street.. YES he was SPEEDING! You could hear the screams before he arrived… we were on the corner so we saw him coming into the park & going out of the park. lt all lasted less than 5 minutes… but thrilling…as we stood there with our rosaries on our arms (accepting blessings) & snapping photos! Then the walk back thru the crowds is always exciting as the crowds pass each other & slap high fives (the universal teen language of hello).

WYD Day Eight early recap

A praise and worship team from Michigan performed before and after Mass during Bishop Sheridan's World Youth Day catechesis session on July 18 at Sydney Convention Center. (Herald photo by Bill Howard)

Stations of the Cross are beginning soon, and access is so tight that many media are watching it from the media center. From what I understand, many of the bishops are watching it from the convention center.

We began this morning by attending Bishop Sheridan's final catechesis session. He drew another impressive crowd in a larger theater (about 500 of 850 seats were taken) and spoke about how, now that we know (from prior catechesis topics this week) what the Holy Spirit is and how the Spirit works in our lives, we are all charged with a mission to take the Gospel to the streets. The crowd -- which included delegations from the U.S., Australia, Sri Lanka, Africa, England and Tonga -- were very receptive to his 30-minute talk and responded with an outstanding hour-long Q&A that had to be cut off for Mass despite several more hands in the air. I must say, Bishop Sheridan really shines during Q&As, strolling around the stage and passionately answering questions. The crowd was quite taken with him. I know our own cathedral ocassionally has him over for informal Q&As; more parishes should take advantage of it.

The first few questions were directly related to church teachings on the Holy Spirit, but it quickly broke out into a free-for-all, with questions ranging from how to discuss with a friend if you've had a vision of Christ to an explanation of the church's teachings on women's ordination and homosexuality. I will be posting the audio shortly.

Because the group did not have tickets to the Stations, it became a free afternoon where they could break out and watch the Stations from whatever posts they saw fit. Because the pope is watching the Stations from St. Mary's Cathedral, many media are sticking to the media center and watching it on screens set up around the room (I'll post a picture of what the media center looks like). After the Stations, our group is reconvening for dinner in the harbor and then the youth will break off again to attend various concerts and activities taking place. There is so much to do and see here, it's almost sensory overload, but in a good way. It is awesome to see so many Catholics fearless about expressing their faith publicly.

One good bit of news from yesterday, the transit strike that was threatened did not materialize, at least not where we were at downtown. While this week has been a very holy experience and I walk the streets each day in a real peace and awe of the universal church, I have to admit that there is a commercial aspect of this that has become a little offsetting... you go to many restaurants and stores and see that their prices are marked over with much higher price tags. And there have been little inconveniences that have challenged our peace... for example, the WYD sleeping bags we ordered for the vigil/closing Mass event -- red with a big, gold papal cross -- did not arrive as advertised. It was if they ran out of time sewing on the crosses and just sent a bunch of people blank red sleeping bags. I know the purpose of the bag is to sleep in it, but if we had known we were going to get ripped off, we would've just brought our own and saved $50. Not to end on a sad note, we are turning this into a positive. Because many of us don't feel like cramming a regular sleeping bag in our luggage, some have decided to donate their bags to local churches to give out to the homeless after we depart. So, to get back to the beginning of the post and Bishop Sheridan's talk, the Holy Spirit is always working and it is such a great feeling when we feel dialed into it. The sleeping bag idea also reinforces the importance of community and the great ideas that can come when everyone is experiencing something together. I tend to be pretty independent and sometimes have to resist the urge to build a wall around myself during challenging times. This week, I'm reminded that the more we interact with each other, the easier it is to stay on the right path and to be dialed in to the Holy Spirit working in and among us.

Today's headlines:
SYDNEY MORNING HERALD: "Shining His Light" (with a huge picture of the pope traveling in his popemobile at night); Inside major headline: "Pope warns against the lure of false idols."

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: "Holy Sea" (with cover shot of popemobile in a throng of people, flags and confetti at Barangaroo). Inside major headline: "Holy Father Speaks: 'We must fight violence and greed'"

THE AUSTRALIAN: "Grey day turns heavenly as Pope takes first big outing."

WYD Day Seven: Group photo

Several people have asked to see a group photo from Sydney... happy to oblige.

Thanks to Michelle Maher, who took the picture right as we arrived at the convention center for catechesis around 10 a.m. this morning. Props to her, as she has been working hard behind the scenes to make sure everyone has as fulfilling a pilgrimage as possible.

WYD AUDIO: Bishop Sheridan's July 17 Catechesis

Bishop Sheridan takes a question from a pilgrim from the Diocese of Rockville Centre, N.Y. (Herald photo by Bill Howard)

During World Youth Day, there are morning catechetical sessions by bishops that pilgrims are strongly encouraged to attend. Bishop Sheridan was asked to give three sessions: one about an hour outside of Sydney yesterday; one this morning; and another tomorrow morning (which the Colorado Springs contingent will attend).

Today's session was awesome. There were concerns about sparse attendance the day before but Bishop Sheridan's session today had the 280-seat room nearly filled. A large chunk of pilgrims came from the Diocese of Rockville Centre, N.Y. (Long Island), and there were pilgrims from Fort Collins, Colo., and the Diocese of Perth, Australia. The session was facilitated by a group from the Diocese of Tonga and Niue. They also provided the worship music throughout the morning.

The theme was "The Holy Spirit, Soul of the Church." The featured Scripture verse was: "For in one Spirit we were all baptised into one body; and we were all given to drink of one Spirit." (1 Cor 12:13). The Mass readings were 1 Cor 2: 4-13 and Mt 16: 13-19 .

I could try to summarize what I liked about the talk, but listen for yourself. If you want to take part in what we're doing down here, below are three streaming audio files from today's catechesis session by Bishop Sheridan (Click on each header to launch audio... it may take a minute or two to load before streaming):

1. Main talk on "Holy Spirit, Soul of the Church." Approx. 27 minutes.

2. Discussion/Q&A after the talk. Approx. 26 minutes.

3. Bishop Sheridan's Mass homily (the session closed with Mass. The Gospel reading chosen today was from Mt 16, I believe.) Approx. 6 minutes.

Lens envy

What a showoff...

(This was taken at the media section for the pope's opening address this evening.)

WYD: Find the pope

Click on the picture for a larger version...

(Herald photo by Bill Howard)

WYD Guest Blogger: Cathy Kusman

Day 1 SYDNEY (Mon.): We get everyone thru customs no problems… longest part took that everyone had drugs (medications) on them and to be checked. J Outside the terminal we meet up with the Brazil group & there is singing & dancing & we are on the news… a fun way to start the celebration. Many countries joined us in the celebrating. So many languages, flags…… but laughter & praising God is all HIS Language. The bus driver shorts us the tour we were supposed to have and we arrive at the hotel early. The lobby is small and cannot accommodate us, so we are left on the curb for an hour with our luggage. Finally getting room assignments (that of course have to be changed many times) and we unload & are ready for day one in Sydney. We did not get into the cathedral, Opera House or to see St. Mary MacKullop, but there is always tomorrow. We have a traditional lunch at Paddy McGuires (across from the hotel) of fish, chips & beer. Then we find out the bad news that we have no passes for the week of events. WHAT!?! Dinner is traditional lamb that evening. We rode the Monorail around the city, meeting people at each stop. The Australians are very friendly & want to know where you are from & find out a little about you! Our hotel is in the heart of Chinatown. It is lively & fun, with a Starbucks across the street. J Tomorrow will be better!

Day 2 SYDNEY (Tue.): Breakfast is at 6;15 a.m. each morning and morning prayer is at 7:30 a.m. We find out that only can get into the public events and the closing Mass. YIKES… We head to the opening Mass to see if we can get close. Father Bill figures out how to get us in and we are far yet close… It’s exciting to be with so many people from different countries all celebrating the Mass together. The Prime Minister of Sydney welcomed us in MANY Languages. Then the Bishop of Sydney, Cardinal Pell, celebrated Mass & gave a great homily, telling us we were the spring in their Australian winter. J So many different countries traditions were incorporated into the Mass… BEAUTIFUL! Thank heavens for the Jumbotrons so we could see, as we were about 1,000 people deep. 150,000 people attended the Mass at Bangaroo Park. Getting out was a LONG walk but meeting people all along the way… Nigeria, Sri Lanka, Canada, Korea, Italy, France, Mexico, Chile, Australia, Poland, Brazil and Papua New Guinea. It’s a beautiful way to start the pilgrimage.

Day 3 SYDNEY (Wed.): After Morning Prayer, we head off to the Blue Mountains to see what Australia is about. Our first stop is the wildlife refuge. We get to see koalas & kangaroos up close & have our photos taken with them. They give us one hour in the zoo … are you kidding? 70 kids in the zoo for one hour? But they did it.. they ran and got to see most of the animals. It was fun to feel a koala who we thought would be SOFT but not really.. The kangaroo you would think would be course but was SOFT. Lots of Joeys too. FUN! Penguins, tazmanian devil, wallaby … FUN! Then off to the BBQ lunch that is paid & planned … guess what? Yup! No one on the planning team of Harvest tours knows ANYTHING… yikes. It has been disappointing in many aspects, but we are also enjoying the moments that we can! We then go to the Blue Mountains & what a view. Incredible photograph opportunities. Then we took the tram/train up & down the mountain. Very exciting. We were back for dinner at Casa di Nico for Italian food as a group with Las Vegas & Denver pilgrims. Then we walked around & enjoyed the concerts in the park.

Day 4 SYDNEY (Thu.): After Morning Prayer, it’s off to catechesis. Tomorrow we hear Bishop Sheridan… today, we are not sure. It begins with praise & worship and ends with Mass. The youth are having a great time & what more can you ask for? J Groups start singing as they are waiting & everyone joins in. FUN! As you walk from place to place, you pass other countries carrying their flags, and there’s the universal welcome... slap high fives welcoming each other as you pass.

WYD Day Seven Recap

Father Bill Carmody, holding Wilson the volleyball, leads our pilgrim march to the Sydney Exhibition Center for a morning catechesis session. (Herald photo by Bill Howard)

Even though the pope arrived in downtown Sydney yesterday, it feels like he truly arrived today with his opening welcome to the massive pilgrim gathering today at Barangaroo, a sea of parking lots along Darling Harbor that have been converted into a huge gathering space for World Youth Day events.

Due to an unfortunate series of events, our pilgrimage group did not get the ticket package that gets us into all major papal events. Instead, we get into just the vigil and final Mass. So, making the best of a tough situation, the Colorado Springs group headed to an area along the papal motorcade route near St. Mary's Cathedral.

Prior to staking their position for the popemobile, the group attended one of many catechesis sessions being held at the Sydney Convention Center. I'll let some of them discuss the subject of their talk, since I was next door recording Bishop Sheridan's presentation (see upcoming post to listen to the audio). I had heard a few gripes that yesterday's catechesis sessions were not well attended, but that didn't seem to be case today. Most of the rooms I looked into were fairly full. I give the young adults a lot of credit for going when they could've chilled just outside in the beautiful 60-degree weather at the harbor.

The pope gave a great welcoming address, focusing on several topics... the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives, his expected criticisms of relativism and some strong statements about greed and caring for our natural resources. The latter is what the mainstream media will surely pick up on (I'm curious as to what the headlines will be). You can hear the entire address by clicking here. One interesting note... I was expecting deafening applause for the pope when he arrived, but it seemed to be scattered pockets of wild cheering. However, I didn't sense that people weren't into it... rather it seemed everyone was just mesmerized by the scene... that the pope is actually here in person for them. Everyone was glued to the stage as he spoke. Also, the dramatic entry by boat-a-cade was awesome. Nothing like having over 140,000 people jumping in anticipation and then seeing his boat round the corner and pass by the stage. Simply amazing.

Tomorrow, we'll have a laid-back morning before heading to Bishop Sheridan's final catechetical session at the convention center. After that, there will be a mass exodus for groups to stake their claim to good sightlines along the Stations of the Cross route. The stations have become a staple of World Youth Day, with many pilgrims taking part in a procession that typically weaves around city spots. Should be very powerful.

Hard to believe we've crossed the halfway point of our group's time in Sydney. Now that the pope is here, the energy is high and I can expect to hear ocassional chanting and singing along the street outside my hotel until around midnight. Not a bad way to fall asleep.

STREAM: Pope Benedict XVI's opening address for World Youth Day, Barangaroo, Sydney, July 17. (Note: You may need to turn up the volume a tad).

WYD GUEST BLOGGER: Seminarian Jason Keas

This pilgrimage has been challenging and very rewarding. Once our group of four seminarians got here after 36 hours of traveling, it was great to meet the whole group in Australia. The Opening Mass was a very powerful experience for me… the cardinals, bishops, priests and all present from around the world calling down the Holy Spirit and praying for a new Pentecost.

At times on the trip we have experienced hard times, not getting tickets and things not going to plan. It is easy to give in to the temptation to give up and be disappointed. The one thing I learned it to always trust in God. We can’t control anything on our own. If we are rooted in his love and in his grace we shouldn’t worry. I have had a reminder that I need to always say “Jesus I Trust in You” in all situations. On this trip I haven’t found peace unless my trust is in Christ. We all experience these things in life; we have the freedom to unite our sufferings with Christ.

Being a Christian is hard. The cross can be very real and heavy at times. After hard times here I have experienced a peace you can only get from God. I am very grateful I have been able to make this pilgrimage. My prayers are with and for all in Colorado Springs.

In Jesus through Mary, Jason Keas

[NOTE: Jason is based out of St. Patrick Parish in Colorado Springs.]

WYD GUEST BLOGGERS: Ave Maria Parish Youth

Some youth pilgrims from Ave Maria Parish in Parker typed out some blog posts for us this morning. The day's big event will be the pope's arrival.

Matthew Rogers
It’s just an all-amazing experience in general. Out of all the World Youth Day events, my favorite part about this is being with my best friends and celebrating our faith with thousands of other people from around the world. It’s just awesome, and to me it’s an experience I’m going to hold close to my heart forever and won’t ever forget. What can be better than celebrating the Catholic faith with your best friends and thousands of others along with the pope? I don’t think anything can compare to how spiritually fulfilling it is.

Kelli Burke
This is my first World Youth Day, and I’m having a blast. My favorite part is feeling the unity between myself and all the other pilgrims here. No matter what language we speak, we know what the other believes. I especially loved the opening Mass because the readings and the Mass itself was in several different languages. I can’t wait to see the Pope today, and allow myself to open my heart to God’s will.

Emily Duff
It’s amazing to be half way around the world and see thousands of other people that share the same faith as me. Going around the streets and being able to just talk to people that you don’t even know like you have known them your whole life is insanely amazing! I love seeing other people that love their faith as much as I do. Never did I think that I would be in Australia for World Youth Day and I can’t believe I am here. Opening Mass was one of my favorite parts so far because it was thousands of people from all around the world celebrating together!

Sarah Sanborn
This has been such a great experience for me because in my 19 years of living there was a time where I didn’t feel like anyone loved or cared about me, not even my own family. It wasn’t until I chose to take God seriously that I truly understood his breathtaking power and love. Though that was over 3 years ago, World Youth Day has enhanced that experience by a million and a half. I love to watch the companionship that us Catholics have and it just warms my soul. It is amazing to know that you don’t even have to know someone to share a connection with them even though they may live on the other side of the world. Jesus truly does walk with me and everyone around me.

WYD AUDIO: The airport scene

If you've looked at the picture of everyone singing and dancing at Sydney Airport on July 14 and/or are looking above at the picture of Father Bill Carmody and other Colorado Springs Diocese pilgrims joining in that dancing, you can hear exactly what they were dancing to by clicking:

here (this track goes with the Father Carmody picture. This is track is left channel only as I am having issues trying to convert this to a single mono track).

and

here (this track goes with the earlier blog picture. This was converted to mono from a left-only stereo track. Sorry for the inconsistent volume early on. I was trying to strategically position the mic in the middle of the circle but some spots were worse than others.)

WYD Day Six Recap

World Youth Day pilgrims crowd in front of the casket of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati in St. Mary's Cathedral in Sydney. In addition to papal wax seals on the various seams of the casket, Blessed Frassati's popular saying "Verso L'Alto" ("ever upward") is inscribed on top. (Herald photo by Bill Howard)

More singing and dancing, this time at Hyde Park in downtown Sydney. (Herald photo by Bill Howard)

An Australian welcome to World Youth Day pilgrims at St. Mary's Cathedral. (Herald photo by Bill Howard)

Today was pretty much another open day as we prepare for the pope’s first public appearance here tomorrow. While the pilgrimage group ventured to the Blue Mountains (I'm trying to track down some pilgrims to post on that), I went to Hyde Park to check out the outdoor concert (one of many), go to confession and pick up a couple of souvenirs now before things get really hectic.

(Google Map note: If you click on the Hyde Park link above, our hotel is located in the bottom left area of the map on George Street just south of its intersection with Goulburn Street.)

I must say, it’s quite impressive to see confession tents sprouted up around major World Youth Day sites. In each tent are about 10 priests, each portioned off for privacy and ready for face-to-face confession. It’s not normal to talk about the penance one receives, but I was moved when I was asked to pray that someone outside the tent who needs to go to confession but is avoiding it for whatever reason would get the courage to walk in there. Walking out of the tent and just absorbing the friendly, unapologetically Catholic atmosphere around the park really energized me.

On one corner of Hyde Park is the massive St. Mary’s Cathedral, home of the Archdiocese of Sydney and where the Holy Father will be lodging later in the week. The magnificent cathedral had two exhibits inside… one for Australia’s only beatified Catholic, Blessed Sister Mary McKillop (she would be the first Australian saint if she was canonized), and another for Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati (see earlier posts for a brief bio on him).

Blessed McKillop was born in 1842 and simultaneously became a nun while founding her own order, the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Sacred Heart, in her mid-20s. She became a symbol of Catholic education in the country, establishing several schools. She survived a temporary excommunication by her local bishop for alleged disobedience in the 1870s. Pope John Paul II beatified her during a visit to Australia in 1995.

The Blessed McKillop exhibit was a small one and the first that you encountered in the church. From there, you began a “Frassati Pathway” of staggered displays with reflections on his life and quotes from his writings. The prayer path ran up the right aisle of the church, around the front of the church behind the altar and down the left side, ending at the site where the wooden casket with his remains lay (his body is not incorrupt). From there, you were shuffled out the side exit so that the next group of pilgrims could enter the church (there were thousands of people waiting to get in, and there was a 90-minute wait to get in). It was moving to see such a large crowd around the casket area, with many youth praying for Blessed Frassati’s intercession. I have heard many tales about Frassati (and there is a Frassati young adult group in the Diocese of Colorado Springs) and know folks who visited his casket and even met with Frassati’s older sister (who died last year at the age of 105) in Turin during the 2006 Winter Olympics. Blessed Frassati's popularity has exploded thanks to the past few World Youth Days since he is considered the embodiment of the World Youth Day spirit.

Tomorrow, the pope arrives and this city – which is already electric – will be amped up several more notches. I can’t wait to hear the first reaction of the crowd as Pope Benedict makes his first public speech for World Youth Day. One interesting note – there are threats of a public transportation strike tomorrow as well, with the day purposefully picked. Public transportation (save for the light rail, which is privately owned and quite expensive, I might add) around downtown Sydney has been free for all pilgrims who have their “passport ID.” Fortunately, our hotel is located in the epicenter of the action, so if we have to walk, we’ll be fine.

That’s about it for now. It’s time for a late dinner and some rugby action on TV. It seems that the two FOX Sports channels that we get in the room are running live or archived rugby games 24 hours a day.

Expect some audio archived on here and on the Herald Web site audio/video page. I've got a couple of high-quality MP3 clips of the singing and dancing scene at the airport on Monday. I also -- please pray this works out -- hope to be able to record Bishop Sheridan's public catechetical sessions for Wednesday and Thursday and post them here and on the audio/video page.

Today's headlines:

SYDNEY MORNING HERALD: "Pope on the move" (referring his travel to day from his retreat at Kenthurst Seminary in northwest Sydney to St. Mary's Cathedral.

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: "Benny and the pets" (a play on an Elton John song title and a reference to some time he spent yesterday meeting native animals. It recalls one of the more famous John Paul II photos from his visit here, where he is posed with a koala).

THE AUSTRALIAN: "Pope on the move for World Youth Day"

WYD: More pictures from Tuesday

A band called The Web plays the didgeridoo with dance beats in Darling Harbor.

World Youth day pilgrims storm the beach at Manly.

A group of about 30 pilgrims from Glenwood Springs, Colo., was part of our ferry ride to Manly.

(All Herald photos by Bill Howard)

WYD Day Five recap

The opening Mass for World Youth Day takes place during sunset over Darling Harbor (Herald photo by Bill Howard)

Downtown Sydney shines at night from the media ferry after the opening Mass. (Herald photo by Bill Howard)

After an early breakfast (6:15 a.m.) and morning prayer, the Colorado Springs/Las Vegas group had a free day until 4:30 p.m., when they would head to Barangaroo park at Darling Harbor to join more than 100,000 people for the opening Mass.

Some pilgrims checked out the various World Youth Day festival sites. An outdoor concert went on throughout the afternoon, the Sydney Exhibition Center had a monster vocations fair with a coffee bar and performance stage where Catholic musicians (including some religious order choirs) can perform throughout the week. At Hyde Park, there were tons of tents that will be used for catechetical sessions, confessions, WYD merchandise and eating. Nearby is the huge, beautiful St. Mary’s Cathedral, where the body of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati lies after being flown down from Turin, Italy, for public viewing. Blessed Frassati has become a model for youth because he devoted his brief life to defending the Catholic Church and devoting much of his time to the poor. He died at age 24 after contracting polio from a sick woman he was visiting. Blessed Frassati was an avid hiker whose motto was “verso l’alto” (“ever upward”), and his witness was embraced by Pope John Paul II, who was also an avid outdoorsman as a youth.

Chuck Maher, his son Evan and I spent a couple of hours taking a ferry from the Sydney Opera House to the city of Manly about 30 minutes away. It was a beautiful, sunny ride in the harbor that allowed us to chat with many locals (as well as some young adults from Glenwood Springs -- Colorado is well-represented here) and gave us magnificent views of the opera house, of the Pacific Ocean and of Sydney in general. When we arrived at Manly, it was packed with pilgrims who quickly headed toward the beach to eat, walk on the sand and watch surfers.

After returning to Sydney, I had to register at the International Media Center, where I’d be setting up shop regularly throughout the week. After staying there for an hour and getting situated, we had to shuffle to a ferry that took us to a dock near the stage for the opening Mass. After snapping a quick picture of Bishop Sheridan as he stood with a couple hundred bishops waiting to process to the altar, I had to snake my way through the crowd to the media viewing area.


The Mass was magnificently staged against the sunset over Darling Harbor. Thousands of flags waved throughout the crowd and a pre-Mass concert helped settle everyone into a prayerful mood. Sydney Cardinal George Pell was the main celebrant, and his homily was quite moving. While acknowledging the excited, zealous pilgrims among him, he also reached out to “anyone, anywhere who regards himself or herself as lost, in deep distress, with hope diminished or even exhausted.” He challenged those struggling with their faith to hang in there and stay faithful, and he echoed Pope Benedict XVI with a challenge to not accept moral relativism in society.

After Mass, our pilgrim group headed to Pizza Hut for dinner (I had to venture back to the media center instead) before returning to the hotel to crash. During that time, a huge concert took place on a lower stage in front of the altar. Many of the pilgrims who attended Mass stayed for the show, which included everything from sacred music to contemporary to Aboriginal songs. The show ended with a magnificent fireworks display over the harbor.

WYD pilgrim backpack

Each World Youth Day, as part of the package to attend, pilgrims get a backpack full of goodies. This year’s pack contains:
- A rain poncho
- A “heat sheet” that looks like a huge piece of foil. Many are using it so far to put on the ground as blankets.
- A hand-cranked flashlight
- Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church
- Gospel of Luke in book form
- Sydney Airport coupon book
- Pilgrim festival and transport guides
- A small, washable WYD 08 tattoo
- A pen
- A bandana with the WYD logo
- A photo book of Australia, “The Great South Land of the Holy Spirit”
- A discount card for McDonald’s around downtown Sydney.
- A bottle of water

I may have missed some small items, but those are the major ones. I ended up getting a second pack as part of the media and it did not contain the McDonald's card, water or photo book but did have a little WYD koala clamp. The media center also provided us with liturgy guides.

Many pilgrims also ordered special WYD sleeping bags for the overnight campout for the vigil and closing Mass the 19th and 20th. Those bags – red with a blue inside – came to our rooms on Tuesday. They will definitely be needed as it has been quite cold at night. I have to admit that I'm a bit ticked about the sleeping bags. I thought the picture had a cool gold cross on the red bags but the ones we received are just solid colors -- albeit the shades of red and blue that is in a lot of WYD stuff. But there's no WYD identifier on it. It will still come in very handy on Saturday night, so I'll stop my whining there.

I’ll recap Tuesday (the official opening of World Youth Day) soon… I am in the process of shoring up that post as well as cropping a couple of pictures of Sydney and the opening Mass. I also hope to start getting the guest blogging rolling again.

Pro soccer player leaves career for priesthood

We're going to be WYD blog heavy this week, but I couldn't pass up posting this great story of a professional soccer player who ended his career to pursue the priesthood.

Headlines from Down Under

This is a feature I'll try to do once a day when I post... here are some front-page headlines from local newspapers. So far, the coverage as been positive:

Monday, June 14 (Day after pope's arrival)
THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD -- "Help save the world, Sydney" (smaller header: "The pope touches down with a message"

THE AUSTRALIAN -- "Pope to relight the fire of faith" (subhead: "Benedict's World Youth Day mission to bring hope to a nation").

Tuesday, June 15 (Official opening day for World Youth Day)
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH -- "A joyful cross to bear" (referring to arrival of World Youth Day cross to Sydney). Inside are two large stories about the cross' journey as well as the positive impression Benedict is making on locals with his knowledge of Australia.

THE AUSTRALIAN -- "Papal reflection as the masses gather."

THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD -- "Populate or perish: Climate sceptic Pell dilutes Pope's green gospel."

BTW

You can click on any picture on our blog and you should get a much larger version of it to view. I know the shot of the Brazil group at the airport can be tough to see, but just click on it.

WYD Day Four Recap

Brazil doesn't wait until downtown Sydney to start the singing and dancing. (Herald photo by Bill Howard)

Welcome from God's Country ... or so they call it here (and they may have a point... it's beautiful down here). We've arrived to the sights of World Youth Day banners and wave after wave from pilgrims around the world. It's truly an awesome sight and, I have to admit, with the monster expense to come here I am highly impressed to see folks from every continent except Antarctica. It couldn't have been easy for most of the 125,000 or so estimated international pilgrimages.

Brazil gets the early nod for the most enthusiastic country. No sooner did one large contingent get their bags off the belt, the guitars and drums came out and a party-like atmosphere broke out in the terminal. It quickly grew too big for that area and moved outside to a larger waiting area. They set up right next to where we were waiting for our buses, so a bunch of Colorado Springs and Las Vegas pilgrims joined in the fun, dancing in a multi-ringed circle around the musicians and singing Catholic songs from their country. It was a magical moment that really energized our group after a draining 10-hour flight. At one point, a local television crew filmed some of our pilgrims (you may see that picture in the Aug. 1 Herald recap).


With an Olympic Games under its belt, Sydney is ready for World Youth Day. Their mass transit system hits all of the major events, they have closed off a decent chunk of downtown Sydney and, according to our bus driver, the local government encouraged workers to take a vacation during this time to help lessen the traffic around the area. There are several WYD volunteers on seemingly every corner ready to direct you to events and help you with other questions about getting around the area. Beautiful World Youth day banners in yellow, red and blue hang from lampposts around the city.

We spent most of today getting our rooms situated. We arrived at our hotel about two hours earlier than expected and the tour buses (which were supposed to take us around the city and kill that time) didn't want to get fined for parking in front of the hotel, so we had to dump all of our luggage along the curb. Not very classy on the tour bus drivers' part, although I have to admit that our driver was hilarious in his analysis of the local government, the proper beers to drink and various other items of cultural interest. Anyhow, several of the men guarded the bags while others walked around for something to eat. The hotel is located in the heart of Chinatown and is just minutes away from several major WYD sites... it's an amazing location. So while our luggage sat along the curb (the hotel's lobby was too small to handle all of it), we didn't mind at all. After three days of super-muggy, hot weather in Korea, it was wonderful to soak in the 60-degree, sunny weather.

Once we got our rooms, everyone unwound for a bit before gathering for dinner down at Darling Harbor (home of the Sydney Opera House and other cultural sites). I did not join them, however, as I had to figure out how to get to the volunteer and media accreditation center to, first, pick up my credential and, second, to see if I got into any of the event pools that I applied for. As I learned during the pope's NYC visit in April, just because you get a credential doesn't mean you get into anything (I got into zero events in NYC). It's a two-step process. The credential at least gets you into the main media center, which is good for Internet access, gathering texts of all of the speeches and special press conferences held throughout the event. It was a bit chaotic at the accreditation center here, exacerbated by the fact that there was also a near-riot outside with some volunteers who arrived to pick up their gear and lodging only to find there were computer errors that showed they did not get approved to volunteer). After two hours I received my credential with the good news that I was accepted for some media areas for the opening Mass, the Stations of the Cross and the vigil/closing Mass. While it will pull me away from the group at times, this credential will allow me access to hopefully some decent photos.

It's been a long day and I still have to unpack. The rooms are very nice... it looks like an old apartment building that was reconverted into a hotel, so many of the rooms have kitchenettes. I have a nice-size bedroom on the 12th floor with a great view of downtown, a separate kitchen/dining area, a living room and a cool, small porch with a table where I can drink some morning tea and pray. Internet access in the room is a joke (.55 per minute with a maximum charge of about $28/day), but hey... I can't complain. The media center will take care of most of that need.

Thank you to everyone who prayed for safe flights for our pilgrimage group. It has been taxing, but a lot of fun. Outside of Father Bob losing his luggage and couple of missing visas that had to be taken care of at Sydney airport, everything has gone very well so far. And thanks to the Herald staff, particularly assistant editor Jim Myers, for holding down the fort and getting the July 18 issue to the press and into your mailbox.

It will take a day or so to get into a flow, so the pilgrim blogging should pick up again Tuesday-ish (Colorado time). I'm still adjusting to the time. Come to think of it, when exactly does my direct deposit go through? Gotta figure that one out...

We're all incredibly energized right now. God has been great to us and you are all in our hearts Down Under.