Some final recollections

“But blessed are your eyes, because they see,
and your ears, because they hear.
Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people
longed to see what you see but did not see it,
and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”
Matthew 13:16-17

This whole pilgrimage has been both a privilege and a blessing, and I'm all too glad to have participated. We've been considerably busy these past few days, and I don't even have any handwritten journal entries to share, so I'm going to tell you about the last few days as best I can.

Where did we leave off? The Day of the official Papal Arrival was really memorable. Our Catechesis that morning featured an American Archbishop, pity that I don't recall his name at the moment. He often encouraged us to be "a pencil in the hands of Christ," to help write the story of salvation, correct? I think that was what he said. Jesse Manibusan was losing his voice because of all the concerts he'd been doing, so we gladly assisted him once more. We got introduced as "Jesse and his friends from California!" hahaha. And MAN, he has some cool handshake things that we need to show you. I actually have a video of this mind-blowing experience.


After another nice Mass, we headed off to the city to try to secure a good spot to see Big Papa. However, a train announcement told us that Barangaroo (our intended destination) was FULL. So we tried going to the Sydney Opera House instead because at least the boat-a-cade and the motorcade were passing by. Ugh, long story here. Crowded, blah blah blah. We got an okay glimpse of Big Papa coming by in the Popemobile. After it was all done, we headed to Adoration, which took place in a section of the Opera House itself. It was wonderful, and lots of people were there, including a multitude of Sisters of Charity; one was kind enough to give me a candy to help suppress my coughing. This is where my day ended, because we decided I should head to St. Ursula's early to get some rest on account of my illness. Hopefully Raj and/or Angela will post about the rest of that night, because I can't remember what they told me about it. hahaha. Well, not a lot.

Friday, I can't recall what exactly happened during the day, but I know we tried to get a spot early for Stations of the Cross. I didn't even get to see everything, but the little of it that I saw was very theatrical and vivid. It was also very inspiring to remember and honor the stations with so many brothers and sisters. A concert with Hillsong United, Matt Maher, and others followed right after, but I couldn't get fully into it (though I wanted to) because I still wasn't feeling well. It was enjoyable nonetheless.

Saturday, we wound up celebrating Mass with a large gathering of Americans. Matt Maher was there yet again, and we met up with Father Brian. The walk to Randwick Racecourse (the site of the vigil and the Final Mass) was quite a spectacle and also quite difficult, especially since I was still sick. Once we finally got to the field of the racecourse, we snuck in as close as we possibly could to the front. Luckily, we blended right in with the Filipinos who were already there and didn't mind us coming over. We killed some time until the Vigil started, and man, you had to be there. The sheer number of candles lit across the field and in the stadium seating was astonishing. Matt Maher was on stage at some point either today or Sunday before Mass, and the poor guy's voice was shot from all the appearances he'd been making.

We tried to settle in early to get some sleep, but people were being rowdy. Some even came by at inappropriate hours of the night, yelling, "wake up, pilgrims, wake up!" After morning broke, the Final Mass started. Beautiful as ever, with a great homily by Big Papa. I couldn't follow everything he said (hopefully it's online somewhere), but I remember him asking us, "What will you leave for the next generation?" And so as we're always sent off after Mass, we left the place, this time to the sounds of Father Stan on stage. Made me wish I hadn't missed him at Praise Party years ago. You know how there's horrible traffic jams in the Philippines? We got stuck in a traffic jam... of people. That took a while, and then we had to make the same long walk as in the beginning.

Eventually, we packed up our stuff from St. Ursula's. Only then did it begin to rain, though the forecasts said differently. We left, and we had our first, real meal for at least a week, while at my Auntie's house: kare-kare. We felt so much better after that. Then we stayed with Raj's cousins for a few days in Melbourne. They're really nice too, and JB is hella like an Australian Mikey. We did a little bit of sightseeing and chillaxing, visited both St. Paul's Cathedral and St. Patrick's Cathedral during those two days. Now we're back home, and somehow I'M STILL SICK. Stupid virus or whatever won't go away.

You've probably noticed this was a pretty objective entry. Boring, right? Yeaaah. I plan to post some "Final Reflections" to cap off my writings on this blog. It'll be some really meaty stuff that I hope will provoke something within you, too.

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WYD Survival

Howdy everybody

Just wanted to drop a little note to let you know that we have survived.

We are currently in Melbourne with my family now, and we will be returning soon: Wednesday July 23rd around 11:03 am, SFO.

I know there is a bunch of days we missed. There is so much to talk about and so much to share, rest assured we will share it all soon enough. Internet access was so very limited compared to what it was like in Germany, but we have a lot of notes. For now, just know that we had a beautiful, holy and blessed experience, and all our familes, and friends and fellow parishioners were definitely a part of that. Thank you all for the prayers.

gtgfn.

pax et caritas.
raj

p.s. so how much have we fundraised for Madrid already?

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It's Finally Official: Jornada Mundial de la Juventud 2001 en Madrid

La Virgen de La Almudena is the female patron saint of Madrid. (San Isidro [St.Isadore] is the male patron saint.) According to legend, when the Moors controlled Spain, the Catholics hid this statue of Our Lady with a "fold of a wall" ("almudaina" in Arabic) or in a nearby storage for grain ("almudit"). When Alphonse VI reconquered Madrid, the statue was miraculously discovered, and it is now venerated in Madrid's Cathedral.

La Virgen de La Almudena y San Isidro, orate pro nobis!


WE'RE GOING TO SPAIN, HIJO!

(...and maybe France.)

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Via Crucis

On Friday, young Catholic actors literally brought the Gospel to the streets of Sydney. What better sign of pilgrimage than the Stations of the Cross: the journey of Jesus to Calvary.

As soon as I got home from class, I turned on my computer and from 10pm to 1am, I was immersed in mystery and mercy as I experienced the Via Crucis or Way of the Cross. The 4th Station (according to this modified version of the traditional Stations) was Pilate Condemns Jesus to Death.



This station took place in front of the Sydney Opera House: perhaps the most iconic symbol of Sydney if not the entire nation and continent of Australia. It was then, as Pilate sends Jesus to be scourged, crowned, and mocked, that I realized how ironic this whole event is. Of course, the cross itself is a paradox--and to some degree an ironic symbol of life and death, defeat and triumph, shame and glory. However, the irony of this particular Via Crucis in that for three hours, the very busy and secular Sydney Business District (SBD) practically shut down so that our "Lord" may walk the streets of this place where so many people wish to keep him out. So many times we treat our faith like a secret that we want to keep to ourselves. But not on Friday night in downtown Sydney whose modern streets on which luxury cars, taxis, and SUVs typically pass, were transformed into the ancient roads of Jerusalem.



For three hours, a park, a harbour, a museum, an opera house became shrines at which the faithful prayed and lifted their mind and heart to the mighty Creator to called this great island from the depths of the sea. I found it somewhat amusing to see the Australian secular media try to report on this event. I got the impression that they didn't quite know what to make of it. The young pilgrims, on the other hand, knew exactly what was going on. And what a contrast that was! World Youth Day is sometimes criticized as being one big party of young people who act like they're at a rock concert. But what Sydney saw was young people meditating, reflecting, and praying. There was little flag waving. The drums were silent. And the youth of the world journeyed with Jesus as He walked towards the Place of the Skull. "We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You because by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world."



Overall, I thought that the Via Crucis through the SBD was very well produced like all the events so far at WYD 2008. I, of course, liked the fact that it was all in English except for some songs in various languages--including Latin. The lighting was fabulous and the crucifixion scene was remarkably beautiful in so many ways. Well...what would you expect from Fr. Cavarra, the director of the Stations who used to work as a director for TV and operas.



Please go here if you missed any part of such a wonderful production.

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G'day Papa!

After watching the Holy Father make his first official appearance at World Youth Day, I must say that having sang "Happy Birthday" to him while he was in the U.S. for his 81st birthday, our Papa is looking quite young. He seemed to be genuinely excited to be so near his children; he was all smiles and even had a noticeable spring in his step.



Upon arriving via boat (the Sydney 2000) at Darling Harbour, Pope Benedict XVI, made his way to the Barangaroo where--hopefully--Angela, Edmund, and Raj were able to give him a proper welcoming. Remember, if you missed the Papal Welcoming, you can go here to watch it at your convenience.



The Holy Father gave a smashing homily. In fact, I began to take notes, but every other sentence was really good...so I gave up...and have just decided to let you read it here in its entirety. What struck me was the imagery that the Holy Father used. I have rarely seen Pope Benedict use such poetic and sensual language. It's almost as if he is using the earth itself as a parable.

"For some of us, it might seem like we have come to the end of the world! For people of your age, however, any flight is an exciting prospect. But for me, this one was somewhat daunting! Yet the views afforded of our planet from the air were truly wondrous. The sparkle of the Mediterranean, the grandeur of the north African desert, the lushness of Asia’s forestation, the vastness of the Pacific Ocean, the horizon upon which the sun rose and set, and the majestic splendour of Australia’s natural beauty which I have been able to enjoy these last couple of days; these all evoke a profound sense of awe. It is as though one catches glimpses of the Genesis creation story - light and darkness, the sun and the moon, the waters, the earth, and living creatures; all of which are 'good' in God’s eyes (cf. Gen 1:1 - 2:4). Immersed in such beauty, who could not echo the words of the Psalmist in praise of the Creator: 'how majestic is your name in all the earth?' (Ps 8:1). And there is more – something hardly perceivable from the sky – men and women, made in nothing less than God’s own image and likeness (cf. Gen 1:26). At the heart of the marvel of creation are you and I, the human family 'crowned with glory and honour' (Ps 8:5). How astounding! With the Psalmist we whisper: 'what is man that you are mindful of him?' (Ps 8:4). And drawn into silence, into a spirit of thanksgiving, into the power of holiness, we ponder."

Additionally, I noticed how paternal our Holy Father is. One got a sense that he truly looked out on that sea of youth and saw his children. While the young pilgrims were all gathered in Barangaroo, I imagine that our Papa--knowing all the dangers that would lead such lambs away from God--wanted to protect us...as a mother hen gathers her chicks under her wings (cf. Mt 23:37). Like any parent, he can't be there to always keep us safe, so, instead, he uses his words to warn, urge, teach, and implore us. And hope we listen.

"Dear friends, life is not governed by chance; it is not random. Your very existence has been willed by God, blessed and given a purpose (cf. Gen 1:28)! Life is not just a succession of events or experiences, helpful though many of them are. It is a search for the true, the good and the beautiful. It is to this end that we make our choices; it is for this that we exercise our freedom; it is in this – in truth, in goodness, and in beauty – that we find happiness and joy. Do not be fooled by those who see you as just another consumer in a market of undifferentiated possibilities, where choice itself becomes the good, novelty usurps beauty, and subjective experience displaces truth. Christ offers more! Indeed he offers everything! Only he who is the Truth can be the Way and hence also the Life. Thus the 'way' which the Apostles brought to the ends of the earth is life in Christ. This is the life of the Church."

Check out Fr. Z's blog for more pics.

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Mission Possible

Here's the talk of Archbishop Chaput that Angela, Edmund, Raj, and 997 of our Catholic siblings heard at the Theology on Taps on Wednesday night.

The Ordinary of the Archdiocese of Denver is in classic form with this very inspirational and engaging address. And I'm sure it sounded all the more better after a pint or two. :)


"God expects big things from each of you...It's your mission, as lay men and lay women, to ensure that Christ's teaching is preached and explained and defended at every level of our society...This takes real courage."

"Love the Church; love her as your mother and teacher. Help to build her up, to purify her life and work...The Church is the Bride of Christ...Where the Church is, Jesus Christ is. Until the end of the age. And we always want to be where Christ is, because there is no way home to God except through him. So love the Church. And this is crucial: Know what the Church teaches..Know what the Church teaches so you can live those teachings and share those teachings with others.

The leaders of today's secularized societies like to fancy themselves as true humanists and humanitarians. But these same societies justify killing millions of babies in the womb and dismembering embryos in the laboratory. We dispatch the handicapped and the elderly and call it 'death with dignity.' Our very language has become distorted. The family is no longer the covenant communion of man and woman that leads to new life and hence the future of society. In fact, there are so few babies being born now in developed, Western-style countries that we have to wonder whether our civilization has lost its will to survive."

If theology is on tap and Archbishop Chaput's pouring...then I'll take a boot!

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'ello again! For a little bit...

It's Edmund. Soooo much to write about from our yesterday.



-Pontifical Vespers with Cardinal George Pell

-Theology on Tap with Archbishop Charles Chaput

-a great Mass with Jesse Manibusan and Archbishop Mark Coleridge (he's hella funny; he also headed a great, comprehensive Catechesis).



We got pictures, and Raj has my memory card, so I'm sure you'll see a lot of great stuff. Hopefully I'll have more time to blog about these things in detail later, but the computer hours here at St. Ursula's are almost over.



oh

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the toilets DO fluch the other way!

ok, i just realized that my previous posts probably weren't very coherent. i blame the lack of sleep and the cold weather... or my ADD is just kicking in every time i try to write. but either way, i did have a point that i was trying to make in those posts that would have related to the title had i got to my point... but hopefully noone else is reading except sean :) j/k (oh and i'm a horrible speller, i rely on the auto correction)

ANYWHO...

i had quite some time to think last night on our long train ride back to St. Ursula's from the irish pub where we attended Theology on tap and heard Arch Bishop Chaput.
Well, i decided that from now on i'm not going to talk to much about the events, because i can just show you pictures of that, but i'd rather share my experience. it's one of those things that you can't always describe but i figure maybe then i'll stay focused on what i'm really trying to convey. it might not be step by step.

AHHH! and our internet access is so limited!

anyways, what i was trying to get at earlier is that its all too easy to make something, anything a habit (for me anyway). i always thought myself to be a fast learner and maybe getting the hang of things so quickly can be a disadvantage at times. like when you hear a song that plays enough times, you strat to memorize the lyrics involuntarily, even if you hate the annoying song!
or maybe it's not habit that i'm talking about, maybe it's comfortability.
gtg tbc

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Briefly...

Yesterday was awshum!

We started out with Catechesis at Our Lady of Fatima the Church right next to us.

We were worried it was going to be a little rinky dink, because it was such a small venue, but it was really good. We met the Archbishop of Canberra-Goldburn, and he was a really great man of God. He gave a great teaching and a great homily and overall he was really inspiring. More on that later.

Also, our worship leader was the "Sizzlin' Texas Guamanian" himself, Jesse Manibusan.

It was cool he invited Eddie to play with him, and Me and Angela sang with him. He also showed us some cool new handshake tricks... more on that later. We also met his wife and his daughter and they are just an awesome family. His wife grew up in Oakland, and we reminisced a little bit about "Marine World Africa USA"







Oh no... i'm running out of time.

Had lunch of sausages in slice bread. We each had about 6 of those.

Went to the Sydney Opera House saw a concert of this guy who was staying with us at St. Ursula's. Really inspiring music and testimony. I have his card, we might book him for some events. His name is David Macdonald. Look him up. Angela got on stage.

Then we headed to another city (got a little lost), for Solemn Pontifical Vespers and Benediction with Cardinal Pell. Simply Beautiful.

Then we headed to PJ Gallaghers, a pub, for Theology on Taps with Archbishop Chaput of Denver. That guy is rock solid Catholic! The theme of the night was "Mission Possible" and it was about not living a double life, and how living as a Half-Way Catholic is self-destructive. Amazing talk. Great Stories. I couldn't write fast enough, but we got a lot of really good stuff, and I will try and put together a summary of it all when we get the chance. The crowd was great. Most people had great questions

Pray for Eddie he is feeling a little under the weather.

Sorry so rushed. Well, off to Catechesis and to see the Holy Father.

AMDG

-raj

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Tune In

To see more of our Papa (and perhaps more of this lucky koala) tune in to live WYD programming. For us pseudo pilgrims, you can try to catch all the exciting Catholic action by staying up late on the following days.

Note: all the times are in local Vallejo time.

<---- Also, check out the WYD Media Player now permanently located to the left of this blog.

PAPAL WELCOME: Wednesday, July 16, the Holy Father will arrive via boatacade @ 9:45pm; then, we will address the youth at Barangaroo @ 10:30pm.

STATIONS OF THE CROSS: Thursday, July 17 @ 10pm-1am.

You can follow along these adapted Stations by going here where you can also download a prayer guide so you can follow along.

NOTE: THERE IS NO LIVE PROGRAMMING ON FRIDAY, JULY 18

VIGIL: Saturday, July 19 @ 1-4am

CLOSING MASS: Saturday, July 19 @ 5-7:30pm

You can also go here to download a copy of the liturgy guide.


In order to view a live broadcast of these WYD events, go to the following sites that the above times.

EWTN (note that it may say that the "Now Showing" or "Coming up next" may say that it's showing something else, if you open a player at the above times, then it should give you a live WYD broadcast...although, I think EWTN goes a little overboard with the commentary)

SBS (local Sydney secular TV; check out the "Watch and Listen Live" and "World News Australia")

SALT + LIGHT TV (Canadian Catholic TV)

Now, if you don't want to stay up, or you're serving/participating in the Invitation Retreat, then you can go to here the following morning to view the event in sections.

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During a sunny morning in Aussie Land

Wowee. Hello all.



So it has begun! WYD made its official kick-off with a gorgeous Opening Mass, with Cardinal George Pell presiding (side note: I'm confused. The liturgy guide and some of Sean's info list him as "George Cardinal Pell" and some other things say "Cardinal George Pell." Eh?). The walk was lengthy and the crowd was wild. We're a tiny little group, so we managed to sneak in A LOT CLOSER than our assigned section.



The Sunday Mass at St. Mary's Cathedral was really something. But the Opening Mass for WYD was huuuuuge. Flags everywhere, people scrunched up, a myriad languages spoken. I'd never been in the middle of something like that before, especially not for Mass. I'm sure some of you can catch the experience online, but a lot of things were fascinating to me. I thought it was wonderful that the faithful Aboriginal peoples were included in the celebration of the Mass. Different countries were greeted in their respective languages, the Prayers of the Faithful included Tagalog, respresentatives of different countries did different things like the offering of Gifts. The music was powerful and uplifting and helped unify the crowd, especially the WYD theme and the Gregorian Chant and other sections in Latin.



Uh, we gotta go. Finish later!

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Restless...

loooooooong day yesterday, and very beautiful too :)

we got an early start as the three of us gathered to start our day with morning prayer on the cold steps that lead to the playground of St. Ursula's. (my college didn't have a playground...) It was still dark and the fresh morning air was biting. the sun rose quickly after we finished prayer (it rises and sets pretty fast over here) and then we were off.

we headed to Darling Harbour to check out the vocations.com cafe and all the venders. I met some sweet Carmelite sisters :) and i got a cool CD for seanzy ;) we met some priests and seminarians (of course) and they asked us to write about a priest who has inspired us, they also gave us a free dvd... we got lots of free stuff actually...
we listened to a few speakers and watched a few people perform there music. it was much bigger than the vocations cafe in germany! it was in a huge conventions center, so we weren't crowded at all. there was confession and adoration as well, just like in germany...
But in that giant convention center, we ran into our beatiful sister cece! it's always a pleasure running into her (so if you haven't ran into her, even if you don't know her, you should! haha, no really).

the host interviewed a priest, Fr. Paul Corotti i think. he talked about his conversion and his decision to become a priest. he said, "if you really want to be happy, you must follow Christ... i never want to go back to that nothingness." he used to be somewhat of a jock and lived and very selfish life, but he said that once he found his calling he knew he had to make a decision cuz you cna't keep your options open.
later on, at the mass, bishop pell also mentioned that 'you can't keep your options open.. commitment leads to fulfilment.

i can't go into more detail, we gotta leave the computer room now :( hours are over

gtg, time for Catechesis. hope it's good!

...but i still haven't found what i'm i'm looking for...

"The body is restless until it rests in God." -St. Augustine

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Dry Bones: UPDATED

While our three pilgrims were among the throng and in the cold at Barangaroo, we were up late in our warm houses either watching the opening Mass on TV or online. It may interest our pilgrims to know that actually several of us including a couple Aunties watched what you saw live.

Wearing fiery red vestments, Cardinal Pell and his brother bishops ascended to the altar of the Lord. They reminded me of tiny flames flickering in the twilight as dusk fell on the Barangaroo.

In his homily, Cardinal Pell began by calling on all lost sheep to come home. Then, this graduate of Oxford University in Church History, proceeded to put the first reading (Ez 37:1-14) into proper perspective by giving a historical background. The first reading from Ezekiel spoke of a plain of dry bones. While facing this depressing and hopeless scene, the Lord gives the Ezekiel an absurd task, "Prophesy over these bones, and say to them: 'Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD!'" No matter how much Ezekiel might have thought that speaking the truth to these bones was just a waste of time, a mere exercise in futility, Ezekiel nevertheless did as he was instructed.

And like many times in which we follow God's will, our Lord makes amazing things happen: "...as I was prophesying I heard a noise; it was a rattling as the bones came together, bone joining bone. I saw the sinews and the flesh come upon them, and the skin cover them, but there was no spirit in them. Then he said to me: Prophesy to the spirit, prophesy, son of man, and say to the spirit: Thus says the Lord GOD: From the four winds come, O spirit, and breathe into these slain that they may come to life. I prophesied as he told me, and the spirit came into them; they came alive and stood upright, a vast army."

How many of our friends, relatives, fellow parishoners, and even total strangers are thirsting like dry bones to hear the Word of God? How often do we think that these people are hopeless, that they will never love God as you have come to love Him? See the faith of Ezekiel, and see the power of God, the Holy Spirit who can change a field of bones into a vast army.

Cardinal Pell urged us "to allow the God of surprises to work through us" for God didn't just bring the bones to life with a snap of his fingers (although He certainly could have--He's got some mighty fingers!). In order to call forth such an army, Ezekiel had to cooperate with God who had told him to "prophesy". Cardinal Pell wants us--the youth--to cooperate with God, that is to serve our brothers and sisters when, where, and how He calls us to. But in order for us to do this, His Eminence prompted us to "pray for an openness of heart, a willingness to take the next step...trust is the key. God will not fail us!"

The Cardinal knows that this is extremely difficult since there are many things preventing us from "taking the next step". We are faced with many different and often competing values and voices trying to influence our lives. Thus, we may be tempted not to hurt or offend anyone by refusing to make decisions that would be unpopular with this group or that group. However, the Archbishop of Sydney told us that "life forces us to choose" making neutrality an impossibility. "Don't spend your life sitting on the fence," he said, "only with commitment comes fulfillment."

Jesus urges us to choose Him as He chose us on the cross. The cross urges us to choose, for His blood which was spilled on it speaks more eloquently that the words of Aaron. We must daily choose to live, to truly live. And this means choosing sacrifice, choosing the narrow road, choosing the unpopular position, choosing to speak out when others would silence your voices, choosing to love unreservedly. Choose Christ as did Peter and Andrew when He invited them to "Come, follow me." Listen to His voice speaking to you; then you will be able to speak to others the "language of the cross" which Cardinal Pell said is "written on our hearts".

Following the distribution of Holy Communion, a Cardinal from the Vatican Congregation who oversees World Youth Day address our three pilgrims and the thousands gathered at Barangaroo. In a particularly touching moment, he told the young pilgrims that they had brought "springtime to this Australian winter".

Now, besides the wonderful homily of Cardinal Pell and of course the Presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, what most struck me--liturgically speaking--is the use of Latin. I think I first noticed it during the Pater Noster (Our Father) which was preceded the Kyrie ("Lord Have Mercy" technically in Greek), Gloria, Sanctus (Holy Holy Holy) which all had Latin/Greek elements. So, despite the fact that no one spoke Latin as his or her native tongue, it was nevertheless a great unifier...I would argue even more so than English. A teen from Papua New Guinea, a young adult from Ireland, and a religious sister from Nigeria all could pray the Pater Noster together. I think that's one of the beauties of a liturgy which incorporates Latin: you can go anywhere in the world and be able to pray along with everyone else. For example, when we attended Mass at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris as part of our WYD 2005 pilgrimage, I didn't have a clue how to say the responses during the Mass in French, but prior to Mass, during Lauds (Morning Prayer), I joined right in with the Glory be (Gloria Patri, et Filii, et Spiritui Sancto...). It truly exemplified the universality of the Universal Church when literally in one voice we could Glorify our Triune God.

Be on the look out for an update to this post later on today.

* * * AND HERE IT IS * * *

You can watch the opening Mass by going here (although, I don't know for how long it's going to be up).

If you want to follow along, go here to view the liturgy guide (at the bottom of the page) and Cardinal Pell's homily.


Also, I look forward to a much better description and reflection from our three pilgrims who could share what it was like "in the trenches" as it were.

So, tune in for straight, on-the-ground reporting live from Sydney with Angela, Edmund, and Raj.

As for me...this armchair pilgrim is off to bed!

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WYD Media Player

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wish we were there

Well it seems like our mates in Ozzie Land are having a wonderful time representing our parish below the equator. For us who must resign ourselves to be armchair pilgrims, we can join them as they participate in WYD's major events.

The first big event is the opening Mass with His Eminence, George Cardinal Pell, Metropolitan of the Archdiocese of Sydney. This Mass will take place on Tuesday at the Barangaroo (I love saying that name--it's like a cross between a boomerang and a kangaroo), a waterfront promenade built specifically for World Youth Day near the Sydney Harbor (or I should say "Harbour").

However, for us, this Mass will be from 11:30pm to 1:30am TONIGHT, MONDAY, JULY 14. You can view it live by going to the official WYD site or to EWTN. I'll hopefully post more ways that you can join in on the fun and in the prayers of our three pilgrims. It'll be just like we're there--sans the cold and the crowds.

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WYD Pilgrimage: Catholic Girls High School Edition Pt. 1

So, I am typing this blog in a classroom at an All Girls Catholic High School. St. Ursula's in Kingsgrove. This is where we will be staying for the next five days. Basically they stripped all the classrooms of their tables, desks, chairs, materials and each room is barren except for the luggage of 8-15 pilgrims (Pictures to follow)

It's a cool place, the staff and volunteers are really Acers (that's more Australian Slang)! There are about 500 people staying here in total. From like 10+ countries... Singapore, to India, to Brazil. That's cuh-razy! Imagine 500 people spending the night at your school. 5 nights... complete with breakfast.

We are also staying right next to Our Lady of Fatima Parish. Pretty cool that it's that close. Only a gate separates the school and the parish. Now the Church. Interesting architecture. Interesting Tabernacle and Fonts. It's not a traditional setup... but that isn't a bad thing. St. Catherine's isn't a traditional setup either. I don't know how to describe the art style, but don't worry pictures will come later.

On an additional note, it does feel good to feel connected with back home... whether it be through reading e-mails about things going on, or reading the comments you all post, or even continuing to read and pray the intentions in the prayer binder. It is so beautiful just to see how we can be connected through prayer this many miles away.

I think the priest at Our Lady of Fatima said it best: "We hope that WYD makes you feel at home. At home in Sydney. But more importantly at home in our Church, the Catholic Church."

Here's to home... wherever you find yourself: Vallejo, Montana, Alturas, San Diego or at an All Girls Catholic High School in Kingsgrove, Australia.

Pax et Bonum.
Raj

p.s. I am going to post about all the interesting foods and products I find in Australia, but here's one to amuse you until then:

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More from Ed

More recollections from the first day, and continued:

"We took our food to the nearby beach. The sand was a mellow, near-white hue. You know how grains of sand are pretty loosely packed, and coarse? Like, you take a step and you sink a little bit? The sand on this beach was almost powdery; the grains were like white sugar, but not as brightly colored.

The undulating waves were lined with dedicated surgers, and the wet sand dotted with occasional runners. We enjoyed our meal in peace until the seagulls began to surround us. They were grumpy opportunists, waiting for us to leave or toss them food, and making noises at other seagulls when one got too close to the other. Surfers must love this place. It's the middle of winter over here, and yeah, I could've gone without seeing a guy in a speedo. Gross. Other than that, the view was remarkable. Well, if you're into speedos, even better. Gross, again.

Monday, the 14th - about 0800h

As we perused the city streets, plenty of things came to mind. Baskin Robbins isn't much of a big thing around here. In fact, one branch by the beach actually closed to due to lack of business. McDonald's is popular, though; locals affectionately dub it 'Mack-uhs,' and many locations sport sliding doors. Actually, lots of places had sliding doors, even the restrooms (aka 'toilets' here. One could draw many, many similiarities between Sydney and San Francisco. They're both culturally diverse, they're right by the sea, full of tourists and tourist attractions, the shopping centres are chock full of avant-garde fashion, ads are everywhere, and so much more. Of course, there are inherent differences. The streets in Sydney are significantly wider, blah blah blah. One exciting thing, was that banners of WYD 08 were on lamp posts all over town, and even taxi cab advertisements cautioned people of extra pedestrians who are possible WYD participants. If you looked in the right places, you could see various venues preparing for events. St. Mary's Cathedral had this electronic sign counting down the days until the start. Our Big Papa was everywhere, too. T-shirts, newspapers, televised news... it's awesome.

Ask us about Sky Tower, if you get the chance. Nice little side story there. I want one of those jumpsuits, though. Filipino food = "Filo" food. After dinner, we checked out a local grocery store. BIG CULTURE SHOCK. See the pictures to believe. More cute little stories, etc.

We had Mass on Sunday morning with one of the many visiting bishops while at St. Mary's Cathedral (which is beautifully designed, rich with intricate details which left me awestruck at any given moment. The coffin of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati was on display to the side of the altar. He's one of the patrons of WYD, and obviously led an exemplary life by virtue of his status. Read up on him, he was truly on fire."

Back to now:
All three of us are writing on the blog from St. Ursula's College in Kingsgrove, a slight way's off from Sydney, but we've been alotted bus passes. Sweet, eh? This is our first night here, and my cousin Julie was kind enough to drop us off after a temporary goodbye. We had heaps of fun over the weekend, ending with a visit to the Featherdale Wildlife Park, was it? and our first meal from Macker's featuring McAfrica, McAsia, and an Aussie Big Mac. McAmerica is only available for breakfast. We did a lot of walking around in the city, and eventually my cute little cousin, Julie's son, Ezekiel, joined us. From here, we'll let the pictures speak for themselves until we write about more of our experiences. I had some on my brother's camera, but I'll upload them ... somehow...

We've been going through the Magnificat, which is absolutely smashing. Today's Mass reading, and the Magnificat's overall theme of today talked about getting out of one's comfort zone. A complementary reading from St. Paul's letter to the Philippians speaks of how Paul considers "everything a loss because of Christ," in order to gain Christ. Even this Sunday's gospel struck a chord in my heart because of the familiar parable of the seeds trying to grow in different places. Almost tailor-made for all of us pilgrims, see? Understanding what Jesus commands through these passages and through our Tradition helps us to become true pilgrims.

Remember, all of you, that even though you haven't physically come here with us to Australia, that you, too, are pilgrims. I don't recall where, but I remember reading about how we're like pilgrims in this life, which is only temporary compared to the eternity of God's Kingdom. We're only "strangers and nomads on earth." There are plenty of pilgrimages throughout the history of our church and by the church itself if you think about it. So as we embark on the start of World Youth Day, recall that we appreciate your prayers as we have taken your prayers with us to the other side of the world to be lifted up with those of countless others with The Holy Father.

I'm getting really excited on the inside. Pray for me and for all of us, because of the battles we're fighting individually, but together. A lot of the prayer intentions from the binder and personal messages are for the sick and the suffering. Just seeing the innumerous amount of intentions kinda makes me feel responsible yet strengthened to offer them up to God. I've experienced a lot of magnanimous people in my life, but man, everyone's just so... great. I love Catholics. I love my family. I love you guys. I love God. I want one of those shirts that Guy Sebastian had that said, "I (heart)." Get it? Instead of I (heart) NY or something. My family's been really supportive, my Auntie Mila's family near spoiled us and fed us and sheltered us, and my Auntie Naty (who's a nun! I keep forgetting to ask what order, though) called from the Philippines.

Remember that rumor that WYD might be in Spain in 2011? A Cardinal passed by us on the Mass processions. We should've been like, "*COUGH*Spain*COUGH*España*COUGH."

Wow, this is long. We're chatting it up with two of the teachers overlooking the computer room. They're hella fun. Cheers, mates.

Godspeed!

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MYSPACE?!?!

G'day mate!

so i woke up early this morning and i turned on the tv to watch Aussie Sunrise, like Goodmorning America, to catch the news. they had a few topics that they kept coming back to every 30 mins. one of course is the Pope's arrival for World Youth Day. the only other topic mentioned more is the birth of the Brangelina twins.

the anchorman asked, "what exactly is WYD??"
"it certainly has nothing to do with the world that's for sure!" the "Catholic" anchorwoman replied.
i though to myself, "uhm... only people from all over the world are coming together to be in one place, it's bigger than the olypics, and i only flew more than 13 hours from a different continent to get here... but i guess none of that has to do with the world... ?"

i continued to watch the show as i packed my bags, and i noticed that they paid way more attention to the brangelina twins. but as the show went on, they talked about it a little longer each time they brought it up. The anchorwoman was Catholic and confessed that she hadn't been going to Church for a while.
They talked about the attitude of the aussie youth, and they say that the Catholic Church is out of touch with the youth. (i don't think they knew about all the pilgrims that went to the last WYD)
PLUS, GET THIS, this poll comes from MYSPACE!!! THAT'S CRAZY!!
they said that:
77% of youth in australia, 14-24 feel that the Church is out of touch
89% disagree with the Churches teachings on sex
and more than half want to boycott WYD!

WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE?!?!
how reliable is any internet poll, especially myspace?!?!

those numbers are shocking, and indeed one can't deny that the Church's youth is always at risk, but that's exactly why we are gathering here and that's why the Holy Father has blessed them (and us) with his presence.

The Homily from Mass yesterday was about the faith of the aussie youth, and he said that they were straying from the Church. and he said that faith must taught and nourished in the family as well in Church. On the morning show, the anchorman would joke about his partner and that she should go to all the events and bring her kids, and maybe it would be the opportune time for her to start going back to Church.

it makes me think of how blessed i was to have been brought up in practicing Catholic family, were i was brought up in strong faith. even though i have my lost moments, no matter how far i stray i have a home to return to.
then being out here, 7416 miles from home, but at the same time still be at home with all our brothers and sisters.
My highlight of the day was signing the WYD theme song and holding hands with everyone right after the welcome liturgy at St. Ursula's college. everyone held hands, high in the air and waving side to side we sing loud and proud and the energy and love in the room was amazing.

I can still feel all the anticipation building up for tomorrow when we meet the Pope on the Borangaroo. gradually my limbs get numb and there's butterflies in my stomach... it's all overwhelming, and i try to remind myself that this pilgrimage is different from the one before. so, i really don't know what to expect, except for the massive crowds, and the freezing cold...

I'm lovin it!!!

ok, well it's almost 4 in the morning, and i'm buggahd!
so i guess i'm off to my cold classroom and i'll sleep on the cold floor in my little space.
BTW, in aussie football, the saints won and the demons lost! HAHA

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Another day from Edmund

Taken from my journal, 2144h, 07.12

"I'm sitting next to a slumbering Raj, who is wearing his left sock inside out. Part of me would like to imagine that he has a valid reason for this. Who knows, maybe it's some act of defiance or a symbolic gesture. The other part of me is obviously laughing at the first part.

The flight was lengthy and gassy. I'm sorry, Angela... (actually, no I'm not). Blame the food. The rest of teh flight found me trying to figure out how to use my waking hours. Did some reading, adopted the term 'rubbish' into my Customs and immigrations went smoothly, especially because this one lady was specially designated to assist WYD pilgrims.

As we approached the exits, I told the others to look for a "Filipino lady" because my cousin Julie agreed to pick us up. Luckily, we found her RIGHT AWAY, no kidding, and we headed out. We were surprised to find two things (well, except Raj): the driver of automobiles is seated on the right side of the vehicle, and you are to drive on the left side of the road. Second, Raj was surprised by the third thing. Third, it was colder than we'd anticipated."

07.13.08, about 2100h

"It's Sunday the 13th over here, and the last two days have been Australia-licious. We arrived early in the morning, about half-six. One of the first things we did was stop by a local park, which had a spectacular view of the opera house and of several skyscrapers. Then, we kinda got lost, much to Julie's chagrin. She told us that she starts crying when she's truly lost. Luckily, it didn't come to that, and we decided to hit up the shore.

Our first meal on the mainland was from a small kebab joint. Meats (chicken, beef, lamb) are sliced thin, piled onto a rotating, upright rod, and roasted by some contraption."

Uhh... the rest is a little boring... I'll post some better stuff later. I have pictures too, but yeah. The rest so far is being around the Sydney streets and celebrating Mass at St. Mary's Cathedral. Lots of fascinating stuff nonetheless. Later, mates.

Godspeed!

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And now introducing...

Hello there everyone...

You might not know me, but I am the fourth pilgrim on this WYD trip. I was supposed to be a stunt double in Passion Play, y'kno? Up until a few days ago I was enjoying the comfortable life chillin' in Lisa Emperador's room with all my homies like Smalls, and Stitch... my name is Biggie.

That's me chillaxin on Bondi Beach after having brekkie (that's Australian for Breakfast) the other day.

Raj, Angela, and Eddie took me along to remind them of all the amazing people they wish were here spending this pilgrimage with them. Everyone from Fangirl Lisa, to the master planner Seanzy, to Jokester Father Jess.

Well I'll keep this short for now, but look out for more of my adventures, and here's a few more pictures of me to keep you 'til I post again.

Me at the top of Sydney Tower:

Me with some Vegemite:

Me at an Australian Target:

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2 DAYS TO GO!!! (but the Pope is already here!)

G'DAY MATE!!!
(WARNING! THIS IS AN ATTEMPT TO WRITE A HORRIBLE AUZZIE ACCENT. R's will most likely be replaced with a silent H.)

ELOW! Hieuh is ma furst post and i'm wrey'in frum down unda. We been havin quite a bit o' fun frum the mowment we got hieuh. Afta the long playne riode, baggage claim and customs di'int take too long, especially since we came in a few days uhly.

We di'int wait ta begin our advencha. We grabbed an early brecky and ate some kebabs on Bondi beach. It was cowld! We wuh sowkin up sum auzzie sun, and enjoyin all the li'ole auzzie cahs n li'ole auzzie feyuh trucks, the li'ole doors, n li'ole houses... (the toilets don't flush the opposites way anymore, b/c they changed it so it flushes straight down. saves wohta)

Julie took us to a park so we could take great picture of Sydney Harbor, the opera house and the Sydney harbor bridge.

Ain't that a beaut?!

It was still too uhly in thuh mornin to do much but we just drove arownd a bit and looked at oll the sites.

But saw the best view of the harbor frum the Sydney Tower. We did the the tour and got to walk on a glass floor 60 giraffes high, 260 meters. it looked lioke we wuh walkin on the air. We wuh terrified at furst but afta lookin down long enough we got used to it.
We olso did the Oz-trek which was an informative li'ole hologram show and virtual ride of the land down unda. We toured Sydney, the outback, the swamps, and the auzzie waters.

By the time that woz ova, we wuh buggahd. It was only 3pm local time, but to our bodies it was 10pm.

we prayed 2 days of our novena and prayed for the petitions, then went to bed uhly expecting to attend a High Mass in the mornin.

We woke up uhly in the mornin, naturally, and eddie cooked a filling brecky and we got ready for Mass at the St. Mary's Cathedral.
There was a mass goin on, but we were actually early for the Mass at half past 10. It was beautiful. We visited the tomb of Blessed Pier Gorgio Frasatti and we asked for his intercession as we prayed for the intentions of all the parishioners. We could feel the excitement from all the pilgrims who had just arrived. The crowd was huge already. I reckon this is nothing compared to what will be expected of the masses of people still filtering in.

As we were exiting the Church, there were moments when Eddie seemed to be swallowed by the crowd somewhere behind us. I assume that he was being polite and letting people pass in front of him, but I had to remind him, that may not be the best idea, especially when the crowd will only be multiplying these next few days. It's one of those things that you can't really fathom until you've experienced it. And suddenly all those feelings of my previous experience started coming back to me.

I don't want to expect anything, I'm sure this pilgrimage will be different from the last. But I know many of those same feelings will arise. I remember standing in awe of the size of the crowd and being surrounded by thousands of people with the love of Christ, a feeling so precious and rare, people breaking out into song all over, in so many different languages, but actually the same one. Being united with our brothers and sister from all over the world, who we mostly could not talk to but we understood nonetheless... it was truly heavenly.

I'M SO EXCITED!!! (running really fast in place, flailing my arms like crazy) AND I JUST CAN'T HIDE IT! (a bit out of character, but hey it's me)

ah reckon mah horrible accent is geh'in a bit annoyin, but ya betta get used ta it cuz we'll be tahkin loike this when we get back :)
Well lucky for you I got tired myself and I started writing correctly halfway through the blog. don't worry, I won't do that again.

Til laytah, Cheers!

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Continuation of Whatever Day This is (2ish?) From Edmund

I have a handwritten journal entry about the flight and such, but I'm thinking maybe I can make money off of the journal when I return to the States. It's a bit past 8pm over here, and I'm on my cousin Julie's laptop. Wait... the bathroom is available. BRB.

Ahh... I've decided to just write in my journal first, then copy it over to this one. Here's my first entry:

"To what shall I compare myself, sitting in the midst of the crowd at the gate, or what analogy shall I use to describe it? Perhaps if I knew about botany, I'd say I'm part of a flower or fruit bearing many seeds. We're all clumped together only to be scattered about to After a few quick errands, I skipped telling you about several events from the day because now I'm on the plane, and I don't feel like divulging what happened in the morning. Laziness prevails, because I just had some turkey. Well, earlier we met up with a load of CYMers & parents at this dim sum place outside the airport. The restaurant was nicely decorated, and the tables were teeming with eager, hungry people, which is always a good indication of good food. I was ready for lots of small, hot dishes like various types of dumplings. I'd been looking forward to a place like this for quite some time. However, two problems came up. First, too many people at our table. Second, it's hard to write neatly on this awkwardly-positioned piece of notebook paper. Third, the dishes that were ordered for our table were authentic Chinese delicacies; the temperatures and textures of some of them didn't bode too well with our palates. Reservations notwithstanding, we ate in good company. I was just glad to be at table with some good friends.

Ward was kind enough to cut out of the restaurant early to take us to the airport, where we eventually said our goodbyes to everybody and took some pictures. I've never had anybody see me (or a group) off at an airport before. I probably didn't show it [at the time], but my heart was glad. I felt empowered by the presence of everyone was we walked off towards the gates and onward with our pilgrimage.

The gate itself was flooded with youth and adults like, a vividly colored sample of what we'll likely see in Sydney. This wasn't my first time flying, so blah blah blah and takeoff weren't a problem for me. In past flights, I enjoyed watching the blanket of clouds paint the sky on the canvas of the sun, impressing one with a crisp, celestial feeling. Instead, the watermelon-sized viewing windows treated us to a vast view of the city lights in the dark, obscured by the fog and later, completely blocked by - would you believe it - THICKER fog.

It's been about two hours into the flight. We've had our little airline meal and a half (Well, Angela did) and everyone's completely knocked out. Raj deserves a good night's rest for once... or rather... all the time. Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson are almost at their happy movie ending, and I think I'm the only one awake on the plane right now. Including the cockpit crew. Maybe that's an indication that the movie sucks. Maybe not. (1838 h, Sydney time)"

More to come later, everybody. Lots of interesting stuff to be reported concerning our first day's stay in Aussie Land. World Youth Day banners and advertisements were everywhere. The toilet flushes straight down due to a tank design which uses less water than previous ones; such is the case in every toilet we've encountered so far. But I'm going to call this a night until the next post. 'Til then, mates.

Godspeed!

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Pilgrims Journal: Day 2? erh 3?

EDITOR'S NOTE: ORIGINALLY SCRIBED EARLIER IN THE DAY, BUT NOT POSTED UNTIL NOW BECAUSE THE COMPUTER WAS BUGGIN'
Australian Time: Saturday, July 12th, 2008 about 6:45am
For all intents and purposes I am going to stick with it as day 2, although we did lose a day with the plane ride and time zone stuff. Yes, that's right we got on a plane on Thursday and exited the same plane on a Saturday... So qwheird.

I am currently sitting on a bench near customs, while Eddie tunes his guitar, and Angela goes to see if the toilets really swirl the other way.

Let's see. How was the plane ride? Eh, long. True Statement. The three of us sat relatively close to each other. Angela and Eddie actually were able to sit next to each other. I would say about 90% of the travelers were headed to WYD. There was a flight attendant who even gave a Papal shoutout. I was blessed to sit next to someone who wasn't a WYD pilgrim. He was actually heading to Australia from Boston to study abroad for a year (sidenote: I know, Boston? strange... right?). It was cool to break down WYD to him and share a little bit of my faith. He had no clue why there were so many people dressed a like on the plane wearing neon colored shirts or orange outback hats. He was surprised and excited to hear that the Pope was coming into town.

For part of the plane ride I was reading Chesterton's Orthodoxy and I had a beautiful revelation about another great thing about being Catholic:

"... the cross, though it has at its heart a collision and a contradiction, can extend its four arms forever without altering its shape. Because it has a paradox in its centre it can grow without changing... The cross opens its arms to the four winds; it is a signpost for free travelers."

*input journey background music: so now I come to you with open arms...

See, although it would have been cool to share my excitement about WYD and maybe share plans if I had sat next to another pilgrim this situation was filled with grace as well. It was a nice opportunity to share my faith in a way that I wouldn't have been able to sitting next to a fellow pilgrim. In the coming weeks I will be surrounded by more than a million Catholic faithful. For 13+ hours I sat next to someone who wasn't. I was able to share my faith openly, answer his questions openly... and it was good times. To the ends of the earth, right?


Well I am not sure what is planned for the day. We meet Eddie's cousin in a little bit, and she apparently has some plans for us.

G'day, and that's it for now, stay tuned for a post from our 4th pilgrim.

AMDG.

p.s. Angela came back dissapointed and said the toilet flushed straight down. We'll have to check later on.

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South Land of the Holy Spirit

Did you know that the country of Australia has Catholic roots?

In the early 1600s, Portuguese explorer, Pedro Fernandez de Quiros, sailed under the Spanish flag (geez! First Columbus and now de Quiros--Portugal missed out) in search of the mysterious Great Southland: a continent at the Southern end of the earth thought to "balance out" the large land masses in the North. This undiscovered continent was called "Terra Australis Incognita" or "The Unknown South Land".

In May 1606, de Quiros landed on the largest island in now the Republic of Vanuatu and thought that he had discovered the mysterious southern continent. He called it La Australia del Espiritu Santo (The South Land of the Holy Spirit). However, he wasn't far off; the islands of Vanuatu are actually off the coast of Australia.

The following is a description of the official claiming ceremony.


It was not quite dawn when the Camp Master and ministers, taking with them an armed party in the two boats, went on shore. Presently, with joyous diligence a booth made of branches was set up on the beach, surrounded by stakes, to serve as a fort in case of necessity. Within, the monks arranged a clean and well-ordered altar under a canopy. This was the first church, and was named by the Captain "Our Lady of Loreto".

RAISING OF THE CROSS

Be witnesses the heavens and the earth, and the sea with all its inhabitants, and those who are present, that I, the Captain Pedro Fernandez de Quiros, in these parts which up to the present time have been unknown, raise and plant in the name of Jesus Christ, Son of the eternal Father, and of the Holy Virgin Mary, true God and man, this sign of the Holy Cross, on which His most holy body was crucified, and where He gave His life as a ransom for the whole human race.

ACTS OF POSSESSION

Possession in the name of the most Holy Trinity
In these parts of the South, until now unknown, where I am, and have come with authority from the Supreme Roman Pontiff, Clement VIII, and by order of the King, Don Philip III, King of Spain, despatched by his Council of State, I, Captain Pedro Fernandez de Quiros, in the name of the most Holy Trinity, take possession of all the islands and lands that I have newly discovered, and desire to discover, as far as the South Pole.

Possession in the name of the Catholic Church
I take possession of all these, the said lands, in the name of Jesus Christ, saviour of all men, how unknown soever they may be, and in the name of His mother the most Holy Virgin Mother of Loreto, and in the name of St. Peter and St. Paul, and of all the holy apostles and disciples, and in the name of the universal Vicar of Christ, the Roman Pontiff, and in the name of the whole Catholic Church, and of all those pious, just, and holy things that have a right in such possession; which I do with joy and to the end that to all the natives, in all the said lands, the holy and sacred evangel may be preached zealously and openly.

The reading being finished, all cried with loud voices: "Long live the King of Spain, Don Philip III, our Lord!" Then we entered the church to give due thanks to God.

They said three Masses, and the fourth, which was sung, was by our Father Commissary. All the people took the sacrament very fervently...The Commissary blessed them with great solemnity; and, at a certain signal that was given to the ships [which] fired off all their guns with full charges; the soldiers discharged muskets and arquebuses, and the gunners sent off rockets and fire-wheels. In the middle of all this noise, all shouted with almost infinite joy, and many times: "Long live the Faith of Christ!" And with this the celebration of the festival came to an end.

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Ite Missa Est: Go! You are sent!

It was good to see many of you at the blessing and send off of our small delegation from St. Catherine's who have hopefully already arrived in the Land Down Under. But, before they left, these three pilgrims were entrusted with 6 items to take with them on their journey. In case you missed it, this is what Fr. Bert said at the send off ceremony.


Brothers and sister,

Before you set out on your pilgrimage,
keep in mind that you three were chosen by God
to make this journey.
At your baptism,
you were anointed to be builders of the Kingdom of God
in the family of the Church.
At your Confirmation,
you were anointed to proclaim the Good News
with your words and with your lives.
Now, having been nourished in this Mass by the Word of God,
and by the Flesh and Blood of Jesus,
St. Catherine of Siena Parish sends you forth
to meet your brothers and sisters
and Pope Benedict XVI in Australia,
the South Land of the Holy Spirit.

You have been called, and now you are sent.
As you proceed forth in the footsteps of Christ and His saints,
take with you these articles which this parish community entrusts to you now.


I. Take with you this book of prayers. With you go the needs and intentions of this community. Pray for us as we pray for you.

II. Take with you this candle. As you light it at the vigil before the closing Mass, may the fire of faith be enkindled in your hearts. May you return and set the world ablaze with the love of Christ.

III. Take with you this bible. May you be heralds of the Gospel, and always bear witness to the Truth with boldness and charity. Listen well to the catechesis talks and especially to the words of the Holy Father. May your hearts, minds, and ears be open to the voice of God speaking to you through our shepherds.

IV. Take with you this crucifix. As you make your way to the Land of the Southern Cross, may you always remember that you are pilgrims and that your journey will not be easy. Offer all your discomforts and trials as sacrifices to Our Lord who favors the poor and the humble.

V. Take with you these scallop shells. May this ancient symbol of pilgrimage remind you that you do not walk alone. Seek the intercession the saints, especially the World Youth Day patrons; ask them to be your companions on this journey. And may you always keep your eyes fixed on your true homeland that awaits you at the end of life’s pilgrimage.

VI. Take with you this flag. As soldiers of Christ, serve Him under the banner of Mary. May she, who is Queen of all Saints, enfold you in the mantel of her maternal protection.

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Pilgrim Journal: Day 1

Hello Lisa, and whoever else reads this =)

In less than 15 hours we will be in the Land Down Under.

Am I excited? Incredibly. Am I tired? Same answer. See, based on the suggestions of some people, I stayed up most of last night so that I would be tired enough to sleep most of the ride. I apologize in advance to all of our fellow passengers that will have to withstand the sound of my deviated septum. Is it a sin to snore that loud on a 13+ hour flight? Just kidding.

The three of us pilgrims were blessed enough to meet and pray with Father Jess this morning. We read psalms and shared spontaneous prayer. It gave us an opportunity to take a break from all the packing, planning and printing of paperwork to just pray.

Father Jess blessed us with a prayer of 3 S’s. Safety: for our travels and all the other pilgrims, that we may arrive safely and share Christ’s love. Solidarity: United together as One Body, with those we meet, and those we leave behind at home. Spirituality: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses. Acts 1:8

G’day Brothers and Sisters.



Until next time, be God’s.




P.S. Thanks to all of our supporters, and all the people who helped/came to see us off. Love all of you. Here's a picture.

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Prayer Book

As part of our WYD Pilgrimage, we are inviting people to add their prayers to our WYD Prayer Book/Binder. We will be taking this binder and praying for these intentions throughout our pilgrimage. Your prayer requests will be our prayer requests at every Mass we participate in, in every Church, at every prayer service, when we see the Pope, and at some point every day of our pilgrimage. We want to take the intentions of all of our friends, families, and fellow parishioners with us as we share our faith with millions of youth.

You can add your prayers in a multitude of ways:

- Visit our Table in the Narthex of St. Catherine's Parish and add your prayers there directly
- You can add your prayers as a comment to this post, and we will add it to the prayer binder.
- If you do not want others to see your prayer requests, you can e-mail me @ rajderivera@gmail.com
- Or you can hand deliver your prayers to me, Edmund, or Angela. We will be at all the masses this weekend, and we will be around the Church several times this week until we leave, including the Mass on Wednesday.

Pax et Bonum

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