New Photos

From WYD Aug 18

WYD Update

Today was a good day. After Catechesis and Mass with Arch. Bishop Timothy Dolan of NY a bunch of us spent the afternoon squating a spot near the stations. Catechesis begin with Jackie Francois and Stephen Curtis. They got the stadium rocking. Jackie is such an impressive woman. Shes talented, energetic, goofy, and absolutely beautiful with a modest yet totally feminine way about herself. Shes such a great role model for women. I wish more young girls had the opportunity to meet her. I think shed inspire them. Arch Bishop Dolan gave an extraordinary catechesis on being a witness for Christ who is Lord "forever and ever". He has such an amazing gift for engaging the audience and making you feel comfortable, like hes family. Yet he doesnt hold back on the content and hes able to challenge you. Im always impressed with A. Bishop Dolan. Hes a priests bishop. Before Mass he personally greeted each and every one of the 350 priests that had gathered for the english catechesis at Palacio de Desportes. Who does that? As we were heading into Mass in procession he stood at the door and slapped each of us on the back, "glad you are here", "thanks for being here" just amazing. And he was equally hospitable with the youth. Some clergy seem to be afraid of young people, but not Dolan. After catechesis we staked our claim near one of the stations and began our 5 hour wait forB16 to arrive. Some passed the time by sleeping in the shade, others by scavenging for food and water, others used the opportunity to meet people from other countries. By the time 7pm rolled around the place was jammed packed. It was hard to move. It was good preparation for tomorrows vigil. The stations were beautiful. This year they used traditional stations from many of the churches across the country. They were amazing. The text for the stations had some really profound reflections. And there was some moving musical movements during the event. But after waiting all day in the sun, wearing clerical attire and pretty much standing I was glad to get back to the hotel, take a shower, and climb in bed. I updated the photos. I added more than 100 new ones. As I write this it is 12:40am and there is a parade outside my hotel window. Bands are playing. They are processing the stations up Calle Alcara to Puerta Del Sol (i think). Some of these station floats require 50-100 men to carry. ... its almost 1am and they are no where near done... tomorrow we have mass with Card. Sean OMalley from Boston and then we hike 5+ miles to the vigil site and try to get some land parcelled out before its too late. Then we bake in the sun and try and stay hydrated until the overnight vigil and Sunday morning Mass. Wish us luck.

B16 Opening Message WYD

Build Your Lives Upon the Firm Foundation of Christ"

ADDRESS OF POPE BENEDICT XVI
OPENING MESSAGE OF THE 26TH WORLD YOUTH DAY
PLAZA DE CIBELES
MADRID
18 AUGUST 2011
Dear Friends,

Thank you for the kind words addressed to me by the young people representing the five continents. And I salute with affection all of you gathered here, young people from Oceania, Africa, America, Asia and Europe; and also those unable to be here. I always keep you very much in my heart and pray for you. God has given me the grace to see and hear you for myself and, as we gather together, to listen to his word.

In the reading which has just been proclaimed, we heard a passage from the Gospel which talks of welcoming the words of Jesus and putting them into practice. There are words which serve only to amuse, as fleeting as an empty breeze; others, to an extent, inform us; those of Jesus, on the other hand, must reach our hearts, take root and bloom there all our lives. If not, they remain empty and become ephemeral. They do not bring us to him and, as a result, Christ stays remote, just one voice among the many others around us which are so familiar. Furthermore, the Master who speaks teaches, not something learned from others, but that which he himself is, the only one who truly knows the path of man towards God, because he is the one who opened it up for us, he made it so that we might have authentic lives, lives which are always worth living, in every circumstance, and which not even death can destroy. The Gospel continues, explaining these things with the evocative image of someone who builds on solid rock, resistant to the onslaught of adversity, and in contrast to someone who builds on sand – we would say today in what appears a paradise – but which collapses with the first gust of wind and falls into ruins.

Dear young people, listen closely to the words of the Lord, that they may be for you "spirit and life" (Jn 6:63), roots which nourish your being, a rule of life which likens us – poor in spirit, thirsting for justice, merciful, pure in heart, lovers of peace – to the person of Christ. Listen regularly every day as if he were the one friend who does not deceive, the one with whom we wish to share the path of life. Of course, you know that when we do not walk beside Christ our guide, we get lost on other paths, like the path of our blind and selfish impulses, or the path of flattering but self-serving suggestions, deceiving and fickle, which leave emptiness and frustration in their wake.

Use these days to know Christ better and to make sure that, rooted in him, your enthusiasm and happiness, your desire to go further, to reach the heights, even God himself, always hold a sure future, because the fullness of life has already been placed within you. Let that life grow with divine grace, generously and without half-measures, as you remain steadfast in your aim for holiness. And, in the face of our weaknesses which sometimes overwhelm us, we can rely on the mercy of the Lord who is always ready to help us again and who offers us pardon in the sacrament of Penance.

If you build on solid rock, not only your life will be solid and stable, but it will also help project the light of Christ shining upon those of your own age and upon the whole of humanity, presenting a valid alternative to all those who have fallen short, because the essentials in their lives were inconsistent; to all those who are content to follow fashionable ideas, they take shelter in the here and now, forgetting true justice, or they take refuge in their own opinions instead of seeking the simple truth.

Indeed, there are many who, creating their own gods, believe they need no roots or foundations other than themselves. They take it upon themselves to decide what is true or not, what is good and evil, what is just and unjust; who should live and who can be sacrificed in the interests of other preferences; leaving each step to chance, with no clear path, letting themselves be led by the whim of each moment. These temptations are always lying in wait. It is important not to give in to them because, in reality, they lead to something so evanescent, like an existence with no horizons, a liberty without God. We, on the other hand, know well that we have been created free, in the image of God, precisely so that we might be in the forefront of the search for truth and goodness, responsible for our actions, not mere blind executives, but creative co-workers in the task of cultivating and beautifying the work of creation. God is looking for a responsible interlocutor, someone who can dialogue with him and love him. Through Christ we can truly succeed and, established in him, we give wings to our freedom. Is this not the great reason for our joy? Isn’t this the firm ground upon which to build the civilization of love and life, capable of humanizing all of us?

Dear friends: be prudent and wise, build your lives upon the firm foundation which is Christ. This wisdom and prudence will guide your steps, nothing will make you fear and peace will reign in your hearts. Then you will be blessed and happy and your happiness will influence others. They will wonder what the secret of your life is and they will discover that the rock which underpins the entire building and upon which rests your whole existence is the very person of Christ, your friend, brother and Lord, the Son of God incarnate, who gives meaning to all the universe. He died for us all, rising that we might have life, and now, from the throne of the Father, he accompanies all men and women, watching continually over each one of us.

I commend the fruits of this World Youth Day to the most holy Virgin Mary, who said "Yes" to the will of God, and teaches us a unique example of fidelity to her divine son, whom she followed to his death upon the Cross.

Let us meditate upon this more deeply in the Stations of the Cross. And let us pray that, like her, our "Yes" to Christ today may also be an unconditional "Yes" to his friendship, both at the end of this Day and throughout our entire lives.

Thank you very much.

WYD update

The wifi has been spotty making it difficult to keep tge blog and pictures updated. i just posted a bunch of new shots to the web. today the bishop joined us for breakfast and the catechesis session. it was great to have him with the group. he even travelled tge subway with us and joined in a few precatachesis songs!!! he really does love spending time with the youth and im sure for all the bishops present the feeling must be profound to be around 20,000 worshiping young people. ive been impressed with the quality of the liturgy. if anyone thinks the young people will have a hard time with the new translation they would be surprised at the resoonse of the young to various traditional hymns and even lati mass parts. There has been some news about protests. apparently they were right outside the hotel. some of the kids got to witness spanish policia at their finest. as much as the press likes to blow things out of proportion there hasn't been much to worry about. i hope it stays that well. generally the people seem greatful we are here. those that arent appear to be godless europeans. good thing we are here.

http://picasaweb.google.com/106202299991712065761

Photos of Santiago de Campostella

Spent today in Santiago de Campostella. Tradition has it that St. James, the brother if St. John, son of Zebedee, and one of the 12 Apostles preached in Spain. After returning to Jerusalem he was beheaded by Herod. His body was returned to Spain by his disciples and forgotten about for over 800 years. In the middle ages a hermit saw stars in a field (campo = field Stella = star) and rediscovered the tomb of the Apostle St. James. The site became a major pilgrimage destination. Thousands hiked the 500 miles from France to Santiago de Campostella every year during the middle ages. Recently there has be a renewal of interest in the pilgrimage. Today they expect 200,000 or more pilgrims per year.

Our pilgrims arrived in the drizzling rain. I hadn't packed a pancho or raincoat. Poor George. I made him a poncho out of a ziplock bag. We got a tour of the city, the cathedral, and saw the tomb of St. James. The cathedral is known for a ginormous incenser that stands about 6 feet tall, take 6-8 grown men to operate, and swings from ceiling to ceiling at speeds of 50 miles per hour. I so totally wanted to see it in action. I even more want to take it home with me but I'm sure I'd over the 50lbs baggage limit for the flight home.

We went to Mass. It was in Spanish. I'm still disappointed I didn't get to see the incenser in action. It's such a different experience to be the "outsider" at Mass to not be able to understand the language, homily, or the readings. We've been to several international masses now. I'm consistently struck by how beautiful the singing at mass is in different cultures. I'm not an ultra trad. but America your music is atrocious.

After mass we had time to wander the city. We had lunch. I ate octopus. We had fun trying to order in Spanish. Some of the young people used the free time to pick up gifts for people back home. The rainy weather made sampling European coffee a more than pleasant experience. In the court yard behind the cathedral a large group of brasilians broke into song and dance. I was hoping more of our youth would jump in. But I think they are shy. I myself must refrain because I killed a 300 person dance/drum circle in Sydney when I jumped in. It was really beginning to feel like world youth day. Hopefully by the time we get to the vigil our youth won't be so shy.

Sent from my iPhone

WYD Santiago

well we have arrived in Santiago Spain. Fatima was amazing. Words really can't describe the experience. Seeing the devotion of the more than 100,000 pilgrims really just can't help but be moving. It was beatutiful. Amazing. So awesome to be part of it. The youth were greatly affected. Tonight we shared some of our experiences. They spoke of for the first time experiencing the caholicity and the universality of the church, they spoke of witnessing the care and love of christians for each other and the poor, the spoke of the beauty of the Mass and how even though very little of it was in english how powerful it was. Some one even remarked how after the lenghy homily in portuguese that it gave them new appeciation for Fr. Nathan's homiles. As far as I am concerned that alone makes the trip a success.

We didnt have wifi in Fatima so I am way behind in updating the blog. Ive tried to keep the twitter wall up to date. It will probably cost me a small fortune in international charges. Now that we are in Santiago i have uploaded some photos. it will take me a while to catch up.

Photos : Traveling to Spain/Portugal
Photos : Santarem, Eucharisic Miracle
Photos : Fatima

We are now at our terminal in the Boston airport. It took a little while to clear security. Lately my rosary seems to be giving TSA some issues. I got a full pat down. I know I think the rosary is a weapon (against evil) but seriously TSA?!?

We left Portland in the drizzling rain. We boarded two buses. 68 pilgrims. It was great to see so many parents there to see the youth off. Michael Lavigne from the Office of Life Long Faith Foration greeted us in the name of the bishop. And then we were off. On the bus Sarah went over the itinerary. I'm excited to be in Fatima tomorrow. We played and "On the Bus Scavenger Hunt" to learn more about eachother. A few of the youth speak Spanish. at least two have never flown before. i found out that some snore- ill have to keep that in mind when planning my locaion for the evening vigil.

Right now we are waiting to board the flight to Madrid which departs in less than an hour. Some of the youth have ransacked Starbucks. Some of the adults are exchanging money. I went looking for a Sd card to ipad adapter because i forgot mine at home (may take me a while to get some photos up on the blog). some of the kids are reading. Tara and Lizzy are havinga conversation, several conversations, with me and i have been blogging and oblivious- how rude!!

ill check when we arrive in spain.

RE: World Youth Day Theme

The theme for World Youth Day 2011, taken from St. Paul’s letter to the Colossians (2:7), is rather striking. If you take a moment to read the passages of scripture that come just before and after this verse, you can see that St. Paul is warning his readers and encouraging them to be determined believers in Jesus Christ. As one who believes in Jesus Christ, you will experience persons who will want to “deceive you by specious arguments (2:4), or to “captivate you with an empty, seductive philosophy according to human tradition, according to the elemental powers of the world and not according to Christ (2:8).” Using the gifts of Faith, Hope and Love that you received in Baptism are powers of the soul that can be excercised against deception. Faith is a light that shines in our minds to see the truth; hope is striving for the good we do not yet possess and enduring hardship to reach that good, and love – of God and for God – is the reason why we believe and hope in Jesus Christ.

The powers identified by Paul will tempt us to believe something less than what is true, or to love what is not trully good for us. Making a spiritual pilgrimage to Madrid, Spain will strengthen each of us to recognize and commit ourselves to Jesus Christ, who is the Way, Truth and Life, in our lives. May your pilgrimage make you firm in faith!

from foryourvocation.org

Meet our WYD Pilgrims

Meet our Prince of Peace Parish World Youth Day Pilgrims

The following youth will be traveling to Madrid, Spain to join more than 1 million other young people from all over the world to meet Pope Benedict XVI. Please pray for them.

Hi! My name is Nicole Drake. I graduated from St. Dominic's RHS in 2010. Come this fall, I will be shipping out into the Navy. However, right now, I am most excited to be leaving for World Youth Day this week. I am looking forward to it because I know it will be a unique experience that I can learn from. There will be about two million people there from around the world, which means to me many different cultures I can interact with plus the culture of Spain the host country. I am excited for the spiritual side of the pilgrimage as well. I am looking for the experience to strengthen who I am today. When I come back, I hope to have many stories to tell and also share the light of God that I will experience with those I interact with.

My name is Brittany Bazinet. I want to go to World Youth Day in Spain because it will be an entirely new experience for me. I have never left the continent before, I have never been in the same city as the Pope before, I've never hiked six miles before, and I've never taken a plane anywhere. I like singing and baking and I have a penchant for odd hats and funky earrings which I crochet. I'm excited to see what happens in Spain, especially since all I can say in Spanish is Good Morning, Good Night, I Love You, and Library. I had never heard of World Youth Day before November of last year. It still really hasn't sunken in that I'm going to another country. It probably won't become real to me until I'm in the airport . . . in England.

My name is Lauren Cronin and I have been a part of Prince of Peace Parish for three years. I am so ecstatic to have the opportunity to go to Spain for WYD. I think it will strengthen my faith even more, and provide me a better understanding of the world around me. This is the experience of a lifetime, and I am very blessed to be going with my youth group, who is like a second family! I hope to be introduced to a new face of God during this trip so I can get to know Him more deeply.

My name is Stephanie Gagne and I am a junior at Rivier College. I have been involved in youth ministry since 8th grade, and I was a member of the Maine Diocesan Counsel for Catholic Youth (MDCCY) from 2006-2009. I heard about World Youth Day from some friends of mine who had traveled to Australia and I couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to stand among 2 million Catholics, not to mention the Pope! When the opportunity arose to journey to Spain this year, my whole family jumped on the chance of a lifetime. I am excited about so many things: exploring a new country, the pilgrimage, learning more about my faith, gaining a deeper relationship with God, spending time with my family, and meeting complete strangers who share my values. I hope to bring back a stronger faith enriched by the understanding of how large and strong my Catholic family is.

My name is Scott Gagne and I will be a freshman at the University of Southern Maine in Gorham. I’ve been involved in the church for my whole life and I’m so happy to be going to Spain with my family. I’m looking forward to gaining experience and knowledge in my Catholic faith. Meeting people and enjoying the time we have with fellow Catholics is going to be a very memorable experience and I hope to get out of this trip a stronger faith and an amazing memory of an awesome time!

Other youth joining us are Rich Lamarre, who will be a sophomore this fall at Ave Maria University in Southwest Florida, and Christian Labonte, who will be a Senior this fall at Lewiston High School.

Getting Ready for World Youth Day Madrid

So I'm starting to get excited for WYD Madrid! Anyone who knows me knows that I hate to pack and procrastinate until the very last minute. I put the NATE in procrastiNATE. Getting ready for WYD means, not packing, but looking at photos from previous world youth days, watching videos online, figuring out my new iPad, and thinking about buying a new digital camera. Notice I didn't anywhere mention doing laundry, packing clothes, or purchasing suntan lotion. So now would be a good time to start placing bets on what critical item I will leave out and desperately need in Madrid. I secretly justify my behavior by suggesting it may fascilitate cultural immersion. Anyway, since it is my intention to blog my WYD experience I thought I should share with you some of the objects of my procrastination.

Slide Show of WYD 2002 and 2008

Check out this cool video for WYD Madrid 2011 w/ Matt Maher: