Departure for World Youth Day
After Mass, Sydney
On Saturday evening last (5 July) twenty young people from around the Oblate Anglo-Irish Province left from Dublin for Australia to join with an anticipated quarter of a million young people from many countries for World Youth Day. At a Mass in Inchicore earlier in the day, the local community sent these ‘ambassadors’ on their way with heartfelt blessings.
In his letter to the young people, Fr Willie Fitzpatrick (Provincial) wished them a safe journey and assured them that we would be following their progress with great interest over the coming weeks.He continued:‘We are privileged to have you as our representatives and ambassadors. Many of you have made great sacrifices in terms of time and money to be present in Australia. At a time when there is so much violence and suffering in our world, your gathering with so many other young people from all over the world will be a sign of hope for a better world.’
World Youth Day (WYD), the largest youth event in the world, will be held in Sydney from Tuesday 15 to Sunday 20 July. The week-long series of events will be attended by Pope Benedict. Young people from all over the world are in Australia at the Pope's invitation to celebrate their faith around the theme: ‘you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses.’ Acts 1:8
WYD is a special moment in the life of the church. Fr Fitzpatrick recalled Pope John Paul’s description of each generation of young people, during his 1979 visit to Ireland, as ‘another continent waiting to hear the Good News’. The letter goes on to express the hope ‘that these days will be days of discovery, enjoyment and gratitude, a time to meet new friends and share new experiences. I have no doubt that the memory of WYD will remain a source of nourishment throughout your lives.
More than anything else, I hope that this journey will be a pilgrimage for you, a time when you each discover your own unique gifts as young persons specially called by God. It is our hope that as you share the Good News with others over the coming weeks, you may also become more aware of God lovingly present with you on your journey.’
A brief note home following the group’s safe arrival in Sydney names the long and tiring journey, the welcome and refreshments organized by Fr Tom Devereux OMI (Irish Chaplain in Australia), and the journey onwards to Melbourne, which will be home to the group until WYD. In Melbourne they have met with young people from Ossory Diocese who are also beginning their WYD experience in this city.
The group is accompanied in Australia by Oblate organisers, Leo Philomin and Peter Clucas, and Ms Antonia Darby.
Photo: Young people and leaders photographed after Mass in Sydney.