SR Anthony Birdsell, of the Disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ in Texas, United States, was collecting World Youth Day reflections from pilgrims at Randwick Racecourse on July 19 when pleasantly surprised to be asked to provide her own.
“I thought you’d never ask,” she said when the question was returned.
After surveying the gathering crowd, the spritely sister said her heart “leapt” when witnessing “so many young people” at workshop-style sessions centred around Pope John Paul II’s “Theology of the Body” offered during the week of WYD08 by author Christopher West.
Both sessions were “packed”, she said.
“I went to ‘Theology of the Body’ and saw so many young people and just thought, ‘Yes, young people are hungry for this message’.”
Sr Birdsell said she believed young people were turning away from promiscuity and were now searching for “solid role models of purity and honest living”.
– Selina Harris
