WORLD Youth Day (WYD) 2008 in Sydney became less of an abstract concept in the first of four Brisbane archdiocesan training days that started on March 31.
More than 350 people attended Clairvaux MacKillop College, Upper Mt Gravatt, to focus on particular aspects of the WYD experience.
With representatives from 13 deaneries and more than 40 parishes, the day was divided into three streams.
Participation in Sydney gave an idea of what to expect as either a pilgrim leader or participant.
Veteran of two pilgrimages, St Peter’s Primary School, Rochedale, teacher Liz Hill, told of her unforgettable WYD experience of sitting in a crowded car park in Rome in 2000.
She said she could not speak a word of the language to those around her, and yet somehow she was still able to communicate with them.
She recounted seeing Pope John Paul II and the amazing sight of so many young people flocking around this one person.
Days in the Diocese will focus on the Brisbane program of WYD events taking place just before the pilgrimage to Sydney.
Brisbane WYD Secretariat guest management project officer Fran Byrne guided parishes and deaneries through hospitality requirements for welcoming young people from overseas and host families.
World Youth Day “champions” – young people who will be the faces and voices of WYD in Brisbane – concentrated on cultivating the energy of youth to carry forward the message of WYD to their peers at parish, secondary school or tertiary level.
The vibe and good will among this group of more than 100 youth was evident and was harnessed in a series of team building exercises overseen by the archdiocese’s WYD NET Ministry Team.
The exercises encouraged participants to focus on the end goal and not be deterred by temporary setbacks or frustrations.
The day ended with a barbecue and free concert by visiting American rapper priest and musician Fr Stan Fortuna, who played his unique rhythms and delivered a powerful Gospel message.
Brisbane WYD Secretariat project co-ordinator Michael Hart said people were excited to receive practical information on what to expect at the next World Youth Day and what to do now.
He said Fr Fortuna’s message of World Youth Day being a tool to love and reach out to young people carried the energy forward for all those who attended the training day.
