WORLD YOUTH DAY Sydney - July 15-20, 2008
Pope John Paul II called the first 'World Youth Day' in Rome on Palm Sunday 1986 to fill the need to celebrate the uniqueness of young people. Ever since, World Youth Day is celebrated at a diocesan level on Palm Sunday and every 2-3 years, all 16-35 year olds are invited to a massive international gathering hosted in a different city. In July 2008 World Youth Day comes for the first time to Oceania, to Sydney. 14th – 20th July is the last week of the school holidays and the final week of the University’s inter-semester break. So - let’s go invade Australia!!!
What’s it all about?
World Youth Day is about 10 days of various activities building up to a final Mass celebrated with Pope Benedict XVI. Events include creating the world’s largest confessional and the blocking off of the Sydney Harbour Bridge so that pilgrims will be able to walk across. A previous pilgrim to the World Youth Day held in Toronto, Canada, has some regret about not taking full advantage of the many optional events. There is much to see and much to do and the opportunity to do them in this place is a once-in-a-lifetime thing! Full details of these options will be available closer to World Youth Day itself.
But more than just the official events in Sydney are Days in the Diocese – events that are organised throughout the country prior to World Youth Day where pilgrims have the opportunity to experience what is it like to be a young Catholic in the host country. Australian organisers have included New Zealand as co-host so pilgrims throughout the world will also be able to experience life as a young Kiwi Catholic.
World Youth Day is not just an experience for pilgrims but for our parishes right here in Howick and Pakuranga also as we have the opportunity to welcome pilgrims from throughout the world as members of the co-host country. This event calls upon the entire Catholic community to step forward and share their potential with each other and with the international community.
WHAT ARE OUR OPTIONS IN SYDNEY?
- Package A is the one we will be looking at as a group. It covers the full week from Monday 14th July to Sunday 20th July: Accommodation is included in the form of school or church halls or homestay. Also included is 7 breakfasts, 6 lunches, and 5 evening meals.
- Package C for the weekend only may appeal to pilgrims wanting head over for just the main events with Pope Benedict XIV. It covers Saturday 19th July & Sunday 20th July. Accommodation is not included. 1 breakfast lunch and evening meal each are included.
- Both packages will cover transport, health cover and cost of visas. There is also a Package B similar to Package A which does not include accommodation.
Costs
Costs vary depending on the package chosen. Total anticipated costs for the full package (and the target of our fundraising per person) are NZ$1500-2000 which will cover registration, travel costs and food and travel contingencies. Don’t have that much available??? Let us know if you want to be included in the fundraising. More details will follow.
World Youth Day 2008 It's going to be BIG – Be in!