Pilgrims from across the diocese are currently participating in a series of monthly gatherings giving them an opportunity to pray and reflect on their faith in preparation for the World Youth Day (WYD).

There are still some limited places available for the WYD Pilgrimage in Madrid, 11-22 August. Over the next few weeks we will be finalising numbers and would encourage people aged 18-35 still wanting to come to Madrid with the Diocese to speak to their parish priest immediately. Parishes have been asked by the Archbishop to nominate 1 or 2 young people (aged 18+ as of August 2011) to represent their parish in Madrid. If you would like to come as a non-parish representative, please speak to the Diocesan Youth Support Team immediately to avoid disappointment. For more details see our website: http://www.rcdow.org.uk/wyd/ or speak to one of the team on 0207 798 9357.

A reminder to all young people who are aged 18+ at the time of the Diocesan Pilgrimage to Spain for World Youth Day 2011, the closing dates for applications is 22nd December, do speak to your parish priest if you are interested. Further details can also be found on our website:  http://www.rcdow.org.uk/wyd/

Fr Damian Cassidy from the Diocesan Youth Chaplaincy team looks at Advent “as a time for stopping in the midst of our busy lives”

I’m waiting …

I am sitting in my room on a cold November morning. The frost is heavy on the windows; traffic is passing by beneath me. The world is not still. Advent is a time for stopping in the midst of our busy lives and a time to simply ask, ‘what do I yearn for?’ maybe this economic uncertainties of our world at this time can give us the opportunity to begin to seek what our hearts yearn for, to seek out what we need to live, rather to want what makes our lives comfortable.

Advent is my favourite season in the Churches year. It just seems to follow the climate of our land. As the nights draw in we seek light and warmth. We hear in our liturgy of the long waiting of people for God’s promise to be fulfilled. The themes that are presented to us are expectancy, hope, and joy. The church invites us to ask for and live in a Spirit of expectancy and joy that our salvation is not only close at hand but faithfully present. That for which we wait this Advent is our deeper reception of this gift, wrapped in flesh for us and for the whole human family. Jesus, and the presence of Jesus in our lives, is the cause of our rejoicing and should also leave us a little bit bemused.

As we prepare for the great feast of Christ’s birth, forget the familiar but think of what Christmas really means. God breaks into our human story in a new and vibrant way. God becomes a human being. Not born in grandeur, but in a stable. Not warmed by a fine blanket, but by straw and the breath of cattle. When Mary becomes pregnant with Jesus and gives birth to him in Bethlehem the whole landscape of our future is changed. This is our story; it impacts on each one of us. And this is the real message of Christmas and it is not comfortable, but challenging. God becomes human, he has our flesh, he is bone and blood and muscle and sinew. Emmanuel – God is with us.  The Good News of Christmas is here to bring us light in the midst of any darkness, poverty, rejection, emptiness, sinfulness we experience. By reminding us of where and how God comes, the Good News is also a revelation of who we are. We are the people who walk in darkness. We are the people who hunger and thirst for God’s presence. The Advent season and the feast of the Nativity give us an opportunity to express our need for absolute love and vitality, and to be reminded by God, that he is with us, the fullness of life and love.

Just a little note to bring you all up to date. The pilgrims that were coming back to the UK landed on Wednesday at 2.30pm at Heathrow after what seemed like the longest flight ever! A small cheer rippled through the plane as we touched down.

I think that the journey back seemed longer than the journey there because we were so tired, but it was nonetheless nice to spend the remaining time with new friends that we had made.

I hope that this blog will continue to bring you pictures and footage of the pilgrimage, as the pilgrims get home and start to download their own pictures. I also hope that we will be able to bring you some snaps from those currently in New Zealand.

For now however, many thanks to everyone who made the pilgrimage possible and we all look forward to being back in the parishes to say thank you properly!

I came across some facts and figures that I thought may be of interest?

• 70,000 international pilgrims took part in Days of the Diocese throughout Australia during the week before WYD08
• 150,000 attended the Opening Mass at Barangaroo and CBD sites
• In excess of 400,000 people attended the Final Mass at Southern Cross Precinct
• 500,000 people came out to welcome His Holiness on Thursday 17 July on the Boat-a-cade, Official Arrival at Barangaroo and Motorcade
• 223,000 people registered for pilgrim services during WYD08 (110,000 international pilgrims + 113,000 local pilgrims)
• Over 170 nations were represented at World Youth Day Sydney 2008
• 168 international flags took part in the Procession of Flags at the WYD08 Opening Mass
• 6,000 blankets were donated by Qantas to pilgrims from across Oceania
• 37 lucky Burmese pilgrims overcame VISA difficulties to finally make it to Sydney for WYD08
• At the WYD Big Aussie BBQ, 220,000 slices of bread were consumed - if laid end to end, it would cover the Sydney Harbour Bridge 21 times
• 100,000 pilgrims slept in 400 schools and parishes

A bit of a shock

We were all shocked by the early start to our day that the journey to Melbourne demanded. Our flight left Sydney at 10.15am and it was a bit of a rush to the airport. However, we are all now safely here and looking forward to dinner tonight and a good nights sleep before the flight back home to England tomorrow.

We are due to arrive at Heathrow at 2.30pm. Some of the group will go on to New Zealand for a few days on a tour. However I know that those of us that are heading back to England are looking forward to seeing friends and family again-it has been a busy two weeks!

See you all soon!

While things may be drawing to a close, it is by no means the end of the blog. I know that Ross has reflections on many of the events that he has not been able to share yet, and there are pictures and footage from the final Mass that we would like to show you. However, as I type I have just come from the Mass and am en route back to the Kings School in order to edit and prepare all the pictures and clips for you to see.

There will also be a chance to see some the things filmed but not yet shown and of course, there is the last leg of the journey home- the flight! That too is a group experience that we would like all of you at home to share, so please stay tuned!

Most of us woke up to a cold and cloudy sky at about 7am on Sunday morning. Those that did not, were awoken by Morning Prayer at 8am which was sung by the most beautiful choir over the loud speakers.

A brief breakfast of more bread rolls was had followed by the chance to try and repack those pesky sleeping bags into the little bags that they come in!

Mass began at 10am and finished at about 12.30. During the Mass some people were confirmed by the Holy Father himself. It was wonderful to watch and I can’t imagine how wonderful it must be to be confirmed by the Pope!

Cardinal Pell also gave a lovely welcome and the mass itself was one of the most moving that I have ever been to. Readings were taken from the Acts of the Apostles (read in Spanish) and 1 Corinthians (read in Italian). The Gospel passage (from Luke and in English) focused on when Jesus reads from Scripture in the synagogue.

The Pope referred to all this in his homily and talked of the necessity the Church and the young people that were gathered, to remain young in her heart. The music and liturgy were joyous and yet solemn and it was a marked and welcome contrast to the other Masses that we had attended.

Yet, while it may have been the   final Mass for Pope Benedict, it is by no means the end of our pilgrimage as a group. We depart for Melbourne on Monday morning in order to catch our flight that will bring us and all our experiences back home.

Pilgrims walk

The pilgrimage walk for the Diocese of Westminster began on Saturday afternoon. We made our way from where we have been staying (the Kings School) and travelled down to Sydney Centre, and from there walked to Randwick Racecourse, the venue for the overnight vigil with the Holy Father and the final Mass.

The group were in such good spirits as we all gathered together at the meeting point in central Sydney. With songs, chants and flag flying we were prepared for our walk of pilgrimage. As we approached the racecourse, it was clear that we were not the first group to arrive. Many of the pilgrims have never been in such a huge crowd, or to another World Youth Day, and so the experience of being one in half a million was very new!

We established our beds for the night, marking out our areas with mats, space blankets and sleeping bags. Dinner was given to us on the way in and most decided to eat before the Vigil started, raising some eyebrows (not ungratefully) at the tinned couscous and salmon that we were given. It looked wired!

The Vigil

The Vigil began at 7pm and was truly a beautiful event. The racecourse was lit by candlelight as each pilgrim was given a candle to hold. Pope Benedict again addressed the crowd saying: “We recall our parents and grandparents who walked alongside us when we, as children, were taking our first steps in our pilgrim journey of faith. Now many years later, you have gathered as young adults with the Successor of Peter. I am filled with deep joy to be with you.”

The address was then followed by Eucharistic adoration, led by the Holy Father, and Benediction followed by a period of prayer. Overall it was a spectacular two-hour presentation of liturgy and music, setting the stage for tomorrow’s pinnacle - the World Youth Day 2008 Final Mass.

There was general consensus however that the candles had warmed up the air and we were wary of the cold as we bedded down for a night under the stars.

Many of the Diocese of Westminster pilgrims had never prayed the Stations of the Cross before. For this event we separated and attended mainly in smaller groups dotted throughout the Barangaroo area.

The first eight stations were acted out throughout the city before reaching us at Barangaroo. We watched the dramatic re-enactment on the large screens.

Many found it very moving as the actors were very good and there was a serious tone to the event. As sunset fell upon Sydney Harbour the tone became even more spiritual and the realization of the reality of the crucifixion was impressed upon many as the final stages of the cross were acted out.

This event was not attended by as many people that had been there the pervious day to welcome the Pope, but nonetheless I was amazed at the silence of such a large crowd.

As well as the large screens, the speakers played music related to each stage of the cross and read out the prayers. It was a truly moving event and encouraged us all to look forward to further spiritual reflection at the Vigil on Saturday night. Only on Saturday night the spiritual reflection will be in the presence of the Holy Father.