The Catholic Herald will be reporting in Sydney for World Youth Day 2008! Click here for live coverage of the diocesan pilgrimage to Australia on the Journey of Faith blog.

World Youth Day basics World Youth Day (WYD) brings together Roman Catholics ages 16 to 35 from more than 150 countries to celebrate their faith. WYD 2008 will be held in Sydney, Australia, July 15 to 20. The theme is "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses" Acts 1:8. For more information on WYD 2008, visit: • www.wyd2008.org • Article: Diocesan pilgrimage group will travel to Australia in 2008 (May 17, 2007 edition) • Some past World Youth Day locations: 2005 - Cologne, Germany (coverage) 2004 - Rome, Italy 2003 - Rome, Italy 2002 - Toronto, Canada (coverage) 2001 - Rome, Italy 2000 - Rome, Italy 1999 - Rome, Italy 1998 - Rome, Italy 1997 - Paris, France 1996 - Rome, Italy 1995 - Manila, Philippines 1994 - Rome, Italy 1993 - Denver, U.S.A.

Wrapping up WYD

MADISON -- Final coverage of the diocesan pilgrimage to Australia for World Youth Day can be found in this week's print edition of the Catholic Herald.

Diocese goes
to Australia

By Ben Emmel
Catholic Herald Intern

MADISON -- After months of planning, fundraising, and anticipation, 75 young people from the Diocese of Madison are ready to embark on an adventure to the coastal city of Sydney, Australia, for World Youth Day (WYD) 2008.

Bishop Robert C. Morlino will be traveling with the diocesan delegation, which includes teens and young adults from parishes around the diocese. Fr. Paul Arinze, pastor of St Joseph Parish in Dodgeville, will lead the official contingent, assisted by Fr. Eric Sternberg, Msgr. James Bartylla, and the diocesan seminarians.

The events in Sydney are expected to attract more than 225,000 pilgrims from around the world, including 100,000 from Australia alone. Pilgrims from the Diocese of Madison number over 100, which includes Bishop Morlino and the diocesan pilgrims, a group from St. Paul University Catholic Center in Madison led by Fr. Eric Nielsen, and a delegation of the Schoenstatt Movement from Wisconsin and Minnesota.

Long flights

The pilgrimage will begin on July 7, with a departing Mass at 6:30 a.m. at the Bishop O’Connor Center in Madison. After a  bus trip to Chicago, the pilgrims will depart from when the first flight departs from Chicago-O’Hare Airport. Forty-eight hours and three flights later, they will arrive in Melbourne, Australia, on the southern coast for the Days in the Diocese Program. The Madison pilgrims will be hosted by St. Peter Chanel Parish in the suburb of Deer Park and will be joined by the Diocese of Magdeburg from Germany.

There the Wisconsin youth will experience the local culture of Australia, with trips to the “bushland,” Australian sports, and a barbeque. The pilgrims can also experience a spiritual preparation for World Youth Day, with events such as a visit to the tomb of Blessed Mary MacKillop, an Australian nun renowned for her holiness.

Finally, on July 14, all will travel by bus to Sydney for the start of the official World Youth Day 2008. There the pilgrims will join the many international visitors for the opening Mass with Cardinal George Pell, archbishop of Sydney. Pope Benedict XVI arrives on Thursday, July 17, via a papal “boat-a-cade” on the Sydney harbor.

Catechesis sessions

For three days in Sydney, the pilgrims attend catechesis sessions given by the different bishops who have also traveled to Australia.

Each talk and celebration of the Eucharist is centered around the WYD theme, taken from the Acts of the Apostles: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses” (Acts 1:8). Bishop Morlino will give three catechesis sessions to English-speaking pilgrims.

In addition to the catechetical sessions, the young people can attend a Youth Festival held alongside the WYD events. International performers, exhibitions, and a Vocations Expo all are featured as part of the festival.

The Stations of the Cross are prominently featured on Friday and will be attended by the Holy Father as the actors depicting Christ and the apostles re-enact the Passion from the Sydney harbor to the famed Opera House.

Vigil with the Pope

The culmination of WYD is the pilgrim’s walk and vigil with the Holy Father. Starting on the morning of Saturday, July 19, all of the thousands of pilgrims will walk miles across the harbor bridge to the Randwick Racecourse, where the pilgrims will pray together in an all-night vigil.

In the morning, the Holy Father will arrive and celebrate the closing Mass and close the week of Catholic celebration. The Madison pilgrims will stay an additional three days to experience the city of Sydney and the surrounding countryside. Bishop Morlino will also celebrate a closing Mass at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney before the group flies home to Madison on Friday, July 25 -- the end of an exhausting, but spiritually renewing Australian adventure.

Fr. Paul Ugo Arinze plunges into the partially frozen lake at Governor Dodge State Park, raising thousands of dollars for World Youth Day pilgrims. (Contributed photo)

We are a 'go' for World Youth Day: Sydney 2008

By Fr. Paul Ugo Arinze
For the Catholic Herald

MADISON -- For over two years now, we have been actively planning for the World Youth Day, Sydney 2008. I am happy to announce to you that all the plans are now completed and we are ready to begin our travel on July 7, 2008. I am very pleased with results of all the hard work that went into planning for this event. I get the sense that the pilgrims are well prepared to make this pilgrimage.

Of course it would not have been possible without all the people that supported the pilgrims with the various fundraisers that were held in different parishes and institutions. I would like to thank in a special all the people who responded to my “Match a fund drive” to help support this pilgrimage. Your support means a lot all the pilgrims. Please keep us in your prayers throughout our travels and we will do the same for all of you.

We encourage you to follow our pilgrimage by visiting the WYD online page at www.madisoncatholicherald.org/wyd2008 for blog entries and photos. Our first stop will be the Archdiocese of Melbourne for the Days in the Diocese events. Our host parish is St. Peter Chanel, a suburban parish in the western part of Melbourne. On Monday, July 14, a caravan of coach buses will transport all the pilgrims from Melbourne to Sydney for the WYD week. We are all embracing this 11 hour-long road trip.

The highlights of the WYD week will include daily catechesis, welcoming Pope Benedict on July 17, live reenactment of the Stations of the Cross on Friday, July 19, a five mile pilgrimage walk on Saturday, July 19 for a  vigil with the Pope and all-night campout, and the closing Mass and announcement of the next host city on Sunday, July 20.

It has been a pleasure serving as the chairperson for the Diocese of Madison, WYD 2008 pilgrimage. I worked with the best team anyone could assemble and I am grateful for all the efforts they put into this. I am most grateful to Bishop Robert C. Morlino, for all of his support and prayers during this process. We are going to Australia to be inspired, to rejuvenate our faith, to be amazed by the wonders of the Lord made manifest in the youth of the world, and having been inspired, become the new agents of evangelization in our world.

To all who cannot make this pilgrimage, but will be joining us spiritually as we travel, I invite you to join us in praising Him who has loved us unconditionally. We thank you for your faithfulness and love. Rejoicing, may the Joy of the Lord be your strength!

Fr. Paul Ugo Arinze is pastor of St. Joseph Parish, Dodgeville.

Itinerary for Madison WYD Pilgrims

Monday, July 7, 2008

5:45 a.m.              Two 55 passenger motor coaches arrive at the front entrance to the Bishop O’Connor Center; WYD Pilgrims arrive and load their luggage into the motor coaches

6:30 a.m.              Mass in the chapel at the Bishop O’Connor Center

7:00 a.m.              Buses leave the Bishop O’Connor Center headed for Chicago O’Hare

10:00 a.m.            Arrive at Chicago O’Hare Terminal No. 5 – International Terminal

12:15 p.m.            Leave Chicago O’Hare

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

3:00 p.m.              Arrive at Tokyo Narita Airport

8:20 p.m.              Leave Tokyo Narita Airport

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

6:40 a.m.              Arrive at Sydney Airport

9:30 a.m.              Leave Sydney Airport 

10:55 a.m.            Arrive at Melbourne Airport Terminal

7:00 p.m.              Mass at St. Peter Chanel’s Catholic Parish (SPC)

Thursday, July 10, 2008

10:00 a.m.              St. Peter Chanel’s Catholic Parish, 848 Ballarat Rd., Deer Park, Victoria, Australia; activities day for pilgrims – Rosary walk to Cairnlea, reflection, games, etc.

7:00 p.m.              Welcome Mass

8:00 p.m.              Welcome party at the parish for Diocese of Madison and Diocese of Magdeburg (pilgrimage group from Germany also hosted by SPC)

Friday, July 11, 2008

9:00 a.m.              Holy Hour at SPC.

Travel to Melbourne City for pilgrim walk and Days in the Diocese (DID) festival

4:00 p.m.              Gates open

6:00 p.m.              Commissioning Mass at Telstra Dome

Saturday, July 12, 2008

9:00 a.m.              Mass at SPC; sports day at the parish and Aussie BBQ.

4:00 p.m.              Travel to Melbourne City for DID festival

Sunday, July 13, 2008

Free day for pilgrims with their host family

6:00 p.m.              Evening Mass and farewell for WYD pilgrims

Monday, July 14, 2008

Transportation with Harvest Youth Tours from Melbourne to Sydney

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

4:30 – 6:30 p.m.      Opening Mass celebrated by Cardinal George Pell at Barangaroo

2:00– 10:00 p.m      Youth Festival events at Sydney locations (all week long)

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Catechesis (teaching) sessions: at over 250 locations across Sydney

Thursday, July 17  2008

9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Catechesis (teaching) sessions: at over 250 locations across Sydney

2:45 p.m.                  Papal Arrival via Boat-a-cade and welcome of the Pope on Sydney Harbour.  Commences on Sydney Harbour and at Barangaroo

Friday, July 18, 2008

9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Catechesis (teaching) sessions: at over 250 locations across Sydney

3:00 -6:00 p.m.          Stations of the Cross - a re-enactment of the last moments of Jesus' life: at St Mary's Cathedral, Barangaroo, Darling Harbour, Sydney Opera House Forecourt, Domain

Saturday, July 19, 2008

5:30 a.m.               Pilgrimage walk across the Sydney Harbour Bridge to Randwick Racecourse: starting at Sydney Harbour Bridge through city to Southern Cross Precinct

7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Evening Vigil with the Pope and sleep out 'under the stars': at Randwick Racecourse

Sunday, July 20, 2008

9:00 a.m.                Papal motorcade commencing in Centennial Park.

10:00 a.m.              Final Mass celebrated by the Pope: at Southern Cross Precinct,

Randwick Racecourse and Centennial Park

12:15 p.m.              Announcement of next host city

Monday, July 21, 2008

Free day

5:00 p.m.               Mass with Bishop Morlino and dinner to follow

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Free day

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Free day

Thursday, July 24, 2008

6:00 a.m.              Pick up from hotel

8:45 a.m.              Leave Sydney Airport Terminal

5:20 p.m.              Arrive at Tokyo Narita Airport Terminal No. 2

Friday, July 25, 2008

9:00 a.m.               Take Hotel Shuttle Bus #33 to Tokyo Narita Airport

12:00 noon            Leave Tokyo Narita Airport Terminal No. 2 Japan Airlines Flight #10

9:30 a.m.              Arrive at Chicago O’Hare Airport Terminal No. 5

1:45 p.m.              Arrive at Bishop O’Connor Center