YOUNG people across Australia officially began preparing to welcome Pope Benedict XVI and about 135,000 international pilgrims to the country with the official handover of the World Youth Day Cross and Icon in Rome on April 9.
The handover marked the formal beginning of Sydney hosting the world’s largest youth event, World Youth Day, in 2008.
Cardinal George Pell of Sydney led the Australian delegation of the World Youth Day management team and 70 young people, representing all Australian dioceses, to Rome to accept the World Youth Day Cross and Icon of Mary in St Peter’s Square after the Palm Sunday Mass led by Pope Benedict XVI.
The young Australians participated in the Procession of the Palms for the Palm Sunday Mass in St Peter’s Square.
Sari Blenkinsopp of Sydney read the first reading and Yasmin Fogliani of Broome and Eric Robinson of Brisbane took part in the offertory procession.
Later 15 Australian delegates, including Townsville diocesan youth co-ordinator Rachel Grahl, sporting jackets and banners emblazoned with the Sydney World Youth Day 2008 logo, accepted the cross and icon from 40 young people from Germany in front of tens of thousands of worshippers gathered in the square and millions of others via television.
During the visit to Rome, Cardinal Pell and the Australian World Youth Day 2008 management team outlined Sydney’s plans for 2008 at an international gathering of World Youth Day organisers.
The team revealed the logo for World Youth Day in Sydney and outlined plans for the week of events and activities to be held from July 15-20, 2008.
Cardinal Pell said the presentations were well received with the master plan being described as a “masterpiece”.
Archbishop Stanislaw Rylko, chairing the conference, proclaimed, “Now we turn our attention to the future, and the future already has a name – the future is Sydney”.
A Web site has been launched at www.wyd2008.org
