At 8:30 am the climax of our
pilgrimage -
the Holy Father presides at Mass.
At the end of the Mass the Youth
Cross and icon of Our Lady
was handed over by the youth of Spain to the youth of
Brazil.
The next World Youth Day will be in 2013 in Rio de
Janeiro.
We returned to the college to have
our evening meal together ...
...and tomorrow we return to England.
Saturday, 20th August
From 8:00 am the Sacrament of
Reconciliation was offered
in 200 outdoor confessionals in the
Jardines del Buen Retiro.
The Holy Father spent some time
hearing confessions.
We left the college in the morning to travel to Cuatro
Vientos
aerodrome for the Prayer Vigil. A journey on the Metro
was
followed by an hour's 'pilgrimage walk' to the site
where
we found a suitable place in our allocated zone.
Before the Vigil the Holy Father visited the
San José Institute for young people with disabilities
It is estimated that nearly 2 million young people would
be there
for the Vigil and would stay overnight for the Mass on
Sunday.
VIGIL OF PRAYER
The Vigil of Prayer started at 8:30 pm and consisted of
music and song, a ceremony of candlelight, testimonies,
greetings from the Holy Father and Benediction.
Eucharistic adoration and the chance for quiet
reflection
was available in many chapels around the site.
The Holy Father was to give a homily, but this was
disrupted by a
sharp blustery shower.
The final session of the catechesis was held this
morning.
ARCHBISHOP PETER WRITES FOR 'VIVA'
There is a sense of expectation and excitement
in the air of Madrid that is more noticeable now
that the Pope has become a World Youth Day
pilgrim. He, like all of us here in Madrid, has
responded to a call; a call to gather in prayer.
His presence among us helps us to appreciate
even more clearly that this gathering of young
people from all over the world is a very real
and tangible manifestation of the universal,
'Catholic', Church.
I have heard many different languages spoken and
sung - and even recognised some of them. But
even though we speak in different tongues and
have different cultural backgrounds, we are all called to listen and
hear the One true God. He invites everyone to
listen and respond to Him; collectively with the
universal call to holiness, but also to the
still small voice that calls each one of us by
our own individual name.
A name that we will hear again and again over
the next few days, in many different languages,
tunes and volumes is 'Benedict'. The Holy
Father, I would think, would rather we
keep the volume down - but recognises that he is
the focus because he is the Vicar of Christ,
acting as a channel for Jesus. This is part of
his special ministry for God, part of his
calling - his vocation. Responding to our
personal calling involves big life decisions -
what does God want me to focus my life on - but
also medium and small decisions: coming to
Madrid for World Youth Day was a choice to
respond to the invitation God made to us.
The loud and exuberant welcome we gave to the
Pope yesterday will be contrasted with the more
serious reflection we make today on the Way of
the Cross. Jesus answered his
Father's call - he listened and chose to say yes
to the will of the Father, even at such a huge
cost. As we take part in the remembering of
Jesus' last hours, we also pray that we
too may be given the courage to make the right
choices in our lives. We pray too that the Lord
will open our eyes that we may see the path he
wants us to take; that He may
open our ears that we may more clearly hear his
calling to us; and that He may open our hearts
so that the Holy Spirit may one again fill us
with the spirit of love and generosity.
'Viva' is a free newspaper distributed to pilgrims in
Madrid -
please click on the box to read the full edition
THE WAY OF THE CROSS
The Holy Father arrived at the Plaza de Cibeles at 7:30
pm
for the Way of the Cross.
Each station was a tableau of statues and the Youth
Cross,
entrusted by the Blessed John Paul II to the youth of
the world
in 1984, was carried by different groups between the
stations.
The Holy Father landed at Madrid-Barajas Airport
this morning at 11:00 am. He was welcomed by
King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofia.
... and is welcomed by the WYD pilgrims
Southwark pilgrims headed for Retirio Park before
greeting the Pope at the Plaza de Independencia.
At 6:15 pm he walked with some young pilgrims
through the Puerta de Alcalá and then travelled in the
popemobile
to the Plaza de Cibeles for a Liturgy of the Word after
which he gave his first homily.
Deacon James Bradley of the
Personal Ordinariate of
Our Lady of Walsingham sang the Gospel.
He was ordained to the diaconate by Bishop John
at Aylesford Priory in May this year
With the Opening Mass, the schedule of World
Youth Day begins. Over three days there are
gatherings of pilgrims. As this is an
international event, different venues hold the
gatherings in particular languages. The venues
are often large local churches, although we had
heard that one venue was a large stadium.
Spanish is of course the most common language
among pilgrims and about one hundred venues had
been provided. English seemed to come in at
about third or fourth place and about twenty
different venues were options for our pilgrims.
The 'nearest' to our home base was about half an
hour travel by Metro: the parish of San Antonio,
run by the Franciscans.
The format of the mornings followed a standard
pattern: beginning about 10am with some musical
praise, followed by a brief round the world tour
of groups with each vying for the loudest cheer
competition! A little more musical worship was
interposed with a couple of the young pilgrims
giving a brief testimony, speaking about their
life, their faith, and their experience of
previous Youth Day(s). The next stage of the
morning was a catechesis on the WYD theme by a
Cardinal or Bishop, after which he would give
the young pilgrims an opportunity to ask
questions, either on the talk or in fact on any
subject. The time together concluded with the
celebration of Mass, at which the main speaker
presided and preached.
Today three days of catechesis began. During the
mornings
from Wednesday until Friday we will be exploring the
faith in
language groups guided by a talk from a bishop.
As well as the talks about the faith, the mornings
include
prayer, song, questions and discussions and conclude
with the celebration of Mass followed by lunch.
The topics for these mornings are taken from the WYD
theme:
'Planted and built up in Jesus Christ, firm in the
faith'.
(St Paul's letter to the Colossians 2:7)
Wednesday - Firm in the Faith
Thursday - Established in Jesus Christ
Friday - Witnesses to Christ in the World
WEDNESDAY
The first speaker at our
venue was Bishop Anthony Fisher OP, of
Parramatta, Australia. He spoke mainly on part
of the theme "firm in the faith". He thanked God
for young people of worldly families who,
perhaps despite possible difficulties, are 'firm
in the faith.'
Evangelisation is a
challenging process, one in which there is a
time to speak, but also a time to be quiet - and
we need the Holy Spirit to help us work out
which is right for the people we are with.
Bishop Anthony quoted St Francis of Assisi (not
for the only time that week) when he said that
we should preach the Gospel at all times, and
even use words if necessary.
In this topsey turvey world
sometimes today it is the young people who wake
and encourage their parents to go to Mass on a
Sunday.
In the question and
answer session, as he was involved in the Sydney
Youth Day in 2008, he was asked about the effect
WYD has had in Australia. He felt it was still
early days, but he had asked a similar question
to the Archbishop of Denver about the effects of
WYD in his Diocese and he said that he thought
that the city certainly seemed more Catholic.
The bishop commented that Parramatta Diocese had
20 struggling youth groups before WYD, but now
has more than 80 strong groups; vocations would
come in time!
He also referred to the
sacrament of marriage, and how important
adequate preparation is important: his view is
that that preparation begins at conception,
rather simply a few months before the wedding
day.
The principal celebrant at the Mass was
Cardinal Sean O'Malley, OFMCap, Archbishop of Boston,
who was joined by 8 bishops and about 50 priests.
This evening, once back at the college, there was a
liturgy,
prepared by Father Damien, OCarm, with the opportunity
to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
WEDNESDAY EVENING
After an afternoon of being in the city (or
trying to rest quietly) the Diocesan group
gathered together in the evening for a
reconciliation service and the opportunity for
individual confession. Fr Damien, of the
Carmelite community at Aylesford, led the
service and gave a powerful reflection on the
love and joy that can be experienced in this
healing sacrament.
At the end of the group part of service, the
ten priests present moved apart to provide space
for the young people to go to confession. A
report afterwards told of one person, one of the
first to go, emerging in tears ... and her
friends were concerned and decided not to go
themselves. The tearful pilgrim was adamant that
they should go as it had been a most moving
experience. This person was not to be the only
one in tears ... not I think of distress, but
more of deep emotion and perhaps release.
The shared experience of the pilgrimage and
the atmosphere of trust that had developed over
the three days together had provided the right
circumstances for the young pilgrims. It had
been a grace-filled moment of trust in God, the
Church and the mutual support the pilgrims
provided to each other. The general feeling was
that all the young people took the chance to
reflect, to confess, to be absolved and receive
God's peace.
Tuesday, 16th August
TUESDAY MORNING
As the Tuesday morning sun begins to show itself
so do the young pilgrims - another bright and
hot day is expected, at least from the sun - few
of those who wander in to breakfast are likely
to be described as looking bright, several
appear to be sleepwalking into the dining room.
The planned film didn't materialise, as no key
could be found for the auditorium, and so the
'slow down' plan will have to wait for another
night for its first test. Rumour has it that,
although lights went out at about midnight,
several small groups went for some night air and
conversation within the college grounds not
returning until gone two, hence the tired
expressions.
The Diocesan group gathered for prayer at
9.15am, and celebrated "Morning Prayer" of the
Church. A large Mass is scheduled for tonight,
and so Morning Prayer is ideal for the pilgrims.
Morning Prayer is part of the daily life of
prayer shared by priests, deacons, religious,
and many lay people throughout the world;
collectively known as the Divine Office
(Morning, Evening and Night Prayer, Prayer
during the day, and the Office of Readings).
Morning Prayer is formed of: psalms, and a
canticle (a scripture text that is similar in
style to a psalm), a short reading from the
Bible, the Benedictus (a song of praise from
Luke's Gospel), some bidding prayers, the Our
Father, a concluding prayer and a blessing.
Although this sounds a great deal, it is a good
way to prayerfully start the day (about 20
minutes of prayer time).
With
a few announcements at the end, the main group
broke up into their mini groups to plan the day.
The main group will gather together at 6pm, so
armed with meal vouchers (and hopefully plenty
of water and sun cream) the pilgrims venture out
once more (or maybe rest up a bit).
IN THE PILGRIMS' RUCKSACKS ...
Tucked away at the bottom of the pilgrims'
rucksacks, pulled there by gravity, is a small
box - which at first looks like a box of
tablets or some other medicine (deliberately so
as it will turn out).
The label reads "nadie tiene Amor + grande"
which roughly translates as "no one has greater
love". At the bottom of the box in an official
looking typeface is the Spanish phrase for 'no
prescription required'. When you open the box,
similar to packets of tablets, you first
discover a sheet of paper - which appears to
have been folded by a black belt expert in
origami. Near the top of this detailed sheet of
instructions is the Spanish phrase "Lea to do
este prospect detenidamente abtes empezar a usar
El crucifijo" - 'read this leaflet carefully
before using the crucifix'. This last phrase a
large clue to what is at the centre of the box,
a wearable crucifix with a neck cord
The name of this 'medicine' is taken from Jesus'
words "no greater love has a man than to lay
down his life for his friends" (John 15:13).
I am unsure if there is a full English
translation of the 'medical' instructions found
in the box ... but they are in small print and
give the impression of being quite detailed.
This gift from the Spanish organisers of the
World Youth Day to the pilgrims is a wonderful
visual reminder that God's love, particularly
made manifest through the Passion of his Son on
the Cross, is a most powerful medicine. It may
not have a precisely definable list of the exact
effects on an individual, but it has no long
term negative side effect and has been in use
since the beginning of time. It is something we
should hope to carry with us wherever we go, to
be taken regularly and shared freely.
Let's hope that many of the pilgrims will
discover the little box in their bag, wear the
crucifix with joy, not just this week, but
always. And always to let it show through their
words and actions.
OPENING MASS
Prinicpal Celebrant: Cardinal Antonio Rouco Varela
Archbishop of Madrid
at 8:00 pm in the Plaza de Cibeles
Bishop Pat Lynch (who looks after the SE area of London) and Canon James Cronin (a Southwark priest who looks after Missio in England and Wales, the official Vatican body which coordinates Missionary work) arrived this afternoon - after a three hour delay on their flight. They have joined the Diocesan group at the Cabrini College, just in time for the formal opening of the final stage of the WYD build up - the Opening Mass.
After spending the afternoon in and around the centre of Madrid our small groups converged on 'Gran Via' Metro station at 6pm, so that they could be together for the wonderful celebration of the Opening Mass. 6pm felt a little early for Mass at 8pm, but as an estimated 500,000 people were present perhaps 6pm wasn't early enough!
Big screens relayed images of the Altar, the Choir, film of some of the build-up to Madrid 2011 and comment from the two compères - all this accompanied by, as one priest described it, 'young people's music'. With no cloud to be seen in the sky, the sun shone strong and bright, and the group drank bottles and bottles of water, before and during the Mass. There was a friendly, joyful and prayerful atmosphere in the area where our group were; and several of the young people exchanged greetings and gifts with others around
them - the Korean group seemed to have the best array of gifts to give out.
With the sun still beaming the Mass began at 8pm with the entry of the Archbishop of Madrid and some of the Cardinals who had travelled many a mile to get there (the other
bishops and priests had already taken their places, otherwise the entrance procession
alone may have taken more than half an hour). As the Archbishop finished incensing the altar and arrived at his chair the music came to an end and a hush fell on the congregation ... and stayed, as the microphone near his chair seemed to be broken - until a crouching technician arrived, and flicked a switch to turn it on!
The Mass was that of Blessed John Paul II - the Pope who did so much to encourage and develop the WYD experience. It was difficult to follow for most of the Diocesan group as it was mainly in Spanish, with the readings and some of the prayers
in other languages - one of the bidding prayers
was read by a woman with an American accent.
Each pilgrim had in the official backpack a copy of the 'Pilgrim's
Booklet' - we all have the English version to help us (for those who remembered to take them to the Mass!)
The Archbishop of Madrid gave a lengthy homily (in Spanish, of course), which was interrupted occasionally by applause from the gathered congregation. We joined in - although we didn't really know why we were clapping! The Mass continued as the sun sank behind the buildings (although the temperature didn't want to drop, staying well up beyond comfortable, nearer to sweltering). The electric lights, which had seemed to be pointless at 6pm, became more and more necessary as Mass didn't finish until almost 10pm. Although there were hundreds of thousands of people present Communion seemed to go smoothly.
With so many people to leave a small area of Madrid, it took quite a while to get back to base, especially with so many using the Madrid Metro system - some didn't make it back until Wednesday! (OK between midnight and 1am). Weary from the heat, the travels and the heavy prayer load, all but the hardiest rapidly turned in. Reports have it that the Italians began a football kick around with some of our pilgrims when they got back... Sister Superior wasn't at all pleased! The Madrid late night football (or really early morning) season is officially over.
Tomorrow sees the start of the three days of
Catechesis in the city with over a hundred
different venues hosting prayer and praise, a
talk by a bishop or cardinal, and then finishing
with Mass - several different language options
are available across the city; but I think our
group will stick to English.
Archbishop Peter with a bishop from Australia
Bishop Patrick with Bishop Terence (from Middlesborough)
Canon James Cronin and Father John Diver (centre)
Monday, 15th August
MONDAY MORNING
With the sun rising and the slightest of
breezes, the day reluctantly begins. With
breakfast from 8am till 10, the dining room
unexpectedly fills up by 8.10!
With some of the group still awake at 2am,
and the people on the last plane not arriving at
the College until about half past midnight,
those gathered for breakfast still seem to give
off a sense of being wide awake ... perhaps due
to the rota for using the showers? The college
caterers bring round coffee, and pour it into
glasses! Don't they realise we are English!
Where on earth should I pour the fruit juice?
Knives and forks on the table lull some of the
leaders into a false hope of something
spectacular ... maybe they do know where we are
from after all, perhaps the full English is to
follow. No such luck, no bread either - let them
eat cake (and fruit) instead - for some an ideal
start to the day: coffee and chocolate cake
(apple muffins provide an alternative).
Never fear, pick up a packed lunch for later
... looks suspiciously like more apples. A quick
clear up as a few of the more jaded faces walk
in the dining room, and plenty of time to get
ready for Mass at 10am.
Our first morning - time for a team
briefing led by
John Toryusen, Director of the Southwark Catholic Youth
Service ...
Archbishop Peter has a word with the
team
MONDAY MORNING
MASS
Archbishop Peter presided at the first Mass of
the Pilgrimage - and fittingly it was the first
time we had all gathered together. Lurking at
the side of the College Chapel was a video
camera: people from the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Russia
had asked to film our Mass - Southwark goes East
as well as South.
Spain celebrates the feast of the Assumption on
the 15th August - not transferring it as we do
at home - and so we remembered again the wonder
of the Father taking Mary body and soul to
heaven. Mass was offered for all the pilgrims,
their families and friends, but particularly
those who had been booked to come to Madrid and
couldn't make it (a family death, broken bones,
sickness and a lost passport).
In the Mass Archbishop Peter remembered the
tragic events in England just a week ago, but
also remarked that in Clapham, where he grew up,
and in other places after looting and damage, the community
gathered - armed with
brooms and cleaning equipment - to pull together
and make right what a minority had done.
At the end of Mass, Archbishop Peter
encouraged the young pilgrims to make the most
of the time they would share together - as a
diocesan group and with all the people who had
gathered from round the world . He also reminded
them of the Holy Father's words from his UK
visit - to find time and space for quiet prayer,
listening for what God is calling us to do today
and in the future; looking for how we can serve
him though others; and asking him to open our
hearts that we may become more receptive to his
love.
In the "notices"slot, John Toryusen passed on the
day's messages; the day was relatively free, and
he recommended that the groups take the
opportunity of a bit of sightseeing, especially
as it is a national holiday and fewer people
would be in the city.
A music rehearsal before Mass
Mass of the Feast of the Assumption
in the chapel
of the Cabrini College
Fr John Diver and Fr John Eze MSP
Archbishop Peter with Deacon Javier Elderfield
Pilgrims at prayer
John Toryusen makes some
announcements after Mass
MONDAY DURING THE DAY AND INTO THE
EVENING
The formal beginning of the official proceedings
of the WYD is Mass with the Cardinal Archbishop
of Madrid on Tuesday evening. This has allowed
the people on the pilgrimage a chance to have
some time to explore the city of Madrid. The
groups and their leaders set out late morning
heading for the underground which would lead them
to the heart of the city centre. Those seeking
the delights of the shops were to be, in the
main, disappointed - the festal holiday saw many
of the larger shops closed for the day.
There was, however, a great atmosphere; a mix of
young excitable pilgrims with the more hardy
Madrid citizens - those who had not fled the
soaring August temperatures. Among the sights
that were seen: The Royal Palace; the Cathedral
... and McDonald's! For those not tempted by the
delights of fasting ... the packed lunch did
indeed contain an apple, but also sandwiches, a
peach and plenty of water.
Various 'admin' matters are still underway
behind the scenes, even on a level of our
diocesan group. The official World Youth Day
packs were distributed including: a rucksack in
Spanish colours to hold everything; a sun hat,
maps for the city and underground; WYD guide
book, a copy of YouCat which has printed on the
cover that it is a personal gift from Pope
Benedict (although I think he had help putting
them in the bags); a multi-lingual copy of St
Matthew's Gospel; and, most helpful considering
the heat, a WYD fan!
The travel tickets and the meal vouchers were
collected and are ready for the young people to
use.
Some of the accreditations were picked up ...
Archbishop Peter can now get through the red
tape to join the other bishops for the
opening and papal Masses.
One update: everyone arrived safe and sound ...
but not everything arrived. One suitcase missed
the plane and seems to have vanished into the
mysterious black hole that exists in airports.
This would be a major trauma for anyone ... but
John Toryusen the director of the diocesan group
and of the Southwark Catholic Youth Service has
taken it in his stride, despite several key bits
of kit and admin 'stuff' in the bag, not to
mention all his clothes (until lunchtime he only
had the clothes on his back).
The leaders are hoping for a quiet night,
especially as some energy was spent on what to a
casual observer (at an extreme distance) may be
described as a mutual exchange of water in an
exuberant manner (aka, a water fight). Supper
was, again, a filling and healthy mix of salad
and cold meats, supplemented this evening with
omelette and pasta salad (not too sure about what
looked like the cold cauliflower, so gave it
wide berth): so much choice on offer, so may
decisions to make ... it took almost an hour for
our group to pass through the serving point -
many thanks to the patient and tolerant catering
team here at the college (coping with of our
lack of Spanish - much pointing, nodding and
shaking of heads).
The plan then was to encourage a wind down: a DVD
- The Way, a story of some reluctant
'pilgrims' walking the Camino to Santiago de
Compostella. God alone knows if this will be
successful.
This afternoon gave an opportunity
for some sight-seeing
as we travelled into Madrid city centre in small groups
- a chance
to become familiar with the city and the Metro.
Evident that The Assumption is an
important feast in Spain -
rather like a bank holiday.
We met back at the Cabrini College
for the evening meal.
Sunday, 14th August
Southwark's pilgrims have
arrived in Madrid
OUTWARD JOURNEY AND FIRST NIGHT
Several groups of young people from Southwark
are taking part in the journey that is WYD.
Archbishop Peter is leading the largest of these
which has been organised by the SCYS, with about
150 young people and leaders who travelled
with him.
A staggered arrival saw the group arrive in
three waves, with the last group landing in
Madrid about 11pm. As Archbishop Peter emerged
from the arrivals lounge we was greeted (in
Spanish) by a WYD volunteer. After admitting no
Spanish, the volunteer switched into excellent
English, honed during his time spent in
Archbishop Peter's former diocese of Cardiff,
where he had been a student. It's a small world!
Transferring almost 60 people by the Metro was an
interesting experience, but smooth all the same.
It seemed strange using the group ticket, as it
had to be passedback over the barrier to the next person
- an odd sight to anyone used to travelling the
London tube.
We have been warmly welcomed by the Sacred Heart
Sisters, and are staying at the school they run
"Collegio Santa Francisca Javier Cabrini". The
Sisters' long made WYD plans were thrown into
disarray shortly before our arrival when they
were strongly "invited" to provide space for a
group of 560 Italian pilgrims ... now due to
arrive Monday evening. Sister Concita, the
community superior, has been driving round
Madrid looking for their breakfast! Despite this
the community ensured that the Southwark
pilgrims were "fed and watered".
With slight adjustments to the original
accommodation plan the pilgrims, weary from their
travels, turned in for the night. Tomorrow
is another day and the start of the next stage of
the pilgrimage.
Arrived in the
evening at
Barajas Airport, Madrid,
from London Heathrow on three
different flights.
During our stay in Madrid, we are the
guests of the Cabrini Sisters. The order has invited
Southwark pilgrims because St Francesca Cabrini, their
founder, spent some time in our diocese.
