SEVERAL thousand Australian pilgrims, hundreds of priests and 23 Australian Catholic bishops will join young people from around the world to celebrate World Youth Day 2011 in Madrid, Spain, in August.
WYD Madrid 2011 celebrates the universality of the Catholic Church today.
Globally, young people will come together from August 16-21 to share their faith and be rejuvenated to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ in their homelands.
“The memories of WYD Sydney in 2008 are well and truly alive in the hearts of young people. For many, the journey must continue on to Madrid where they will join two million others as the week builds up to an epic Vigil sleep-out and final Mass with Pope Benedict XVI,” managing director of the official tour operator Harvest Pilgrimages Philip Ryall said.
Archbishop Mark Coleridge of Canberra and Goulburn is one of the bishops who will accompany young people from his archdiocese on the “Shores of Galilee Pilgrimage”.
“For me, World Youth Day is a real blessing, a chance to see the future of our Church in action,” Archbishop Coleridge said.
“The pilgrimage we will go on is to the Holy Land and the ‘Shores of Galilee’.
“We are going right to the source and we will be walking in the footsteps of Jesus.”
Harvest pilgrimage staff are working hard to finalise the travel arrangements of young people from parishes, schools, communities and movements who have signed up to be a part of the largest ever Australian movement of pilgrims to attend an international WYD.
National WYD projects officer Bernadette Kreutzer said the event aimed to be as inclusive as possible.
“The Australian Catholic Bishops Con-ference welcomes pilgrims on the WYD journey,” Ms Kreutzer said.
“WYD Madrid will be an amazing grace and no one will regret their attendance.”
Contact Bernadette Kreutzer on (07) 3109 6807 or wyd@catholic.org.au
