Over 250-thousand gathered in Sydney’s harbour to see the dramatic re-enactment of our Lord’s Passion. One hundred actors performed the highly anticipated WYD event, which wound through the streets of Sydney stopping at St. Mary’s Cathedral, the Opera House, the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the Domain, Darling Harbor (on a pontoon boat!) and ...read more

This blog comes from Marilena Berardinelli, a young Toronto based Catholic teacher and WYD08 participant. WYD takes its host city “hostage”- or at least that is how WYD is most often first received by the residents of the host city. Transportation is monopolized, the streets are closed, the public spaces are filled to capacity. Pilgrims ...read more

Also on Friday, the Holy Father met with disadvantaged youth at Sacred Heart in Paddington. Here is the message he shared with those present. Dear Young Friends, I am pleased to be with you at Darlinghurst today, and I warmly greet all those taking part in the “Alive” programme, as well as the staff who ...read more

On Friday, Pope Benedict XVI met with leaders from the Christian communities of Australia at St. Mary’s Cathedral. The following his his address. Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, I give heartfelt thanks to God for this opportunity to meet and pray with all of you who have come here representing various Christian communities in ...read more

Pope Benedict met Friday with heads of other faiths at Sydney’s St. Mary’s Cathedral Chapter Hall. Here is the Holy Father’s address: Dear Friends, I extend cordial greetings of peace and goodwill to all of you who are here representing various religious traditions in Australia. Grateful for this encounter, I thank Rabbi Jeremy Lawrence and ...read more

This blog comes from Marilena Berardinelli, a young Toronto based Catholic teacher and WYD08 participant. It is difficult to imagine WYD without the presence of a Roman Pontiff. Of course, the experience of WYD goes beyond any one Pope, however, his presence does attest to the fact that young people are an integral aspect of ...read more

[From the Thursday Papal arrival to the Sydney Harbour, here is Pope Benedict XVI’s Homily] Dear Young People, What a delight it is to greet you here at Barangaroo, on the shores of the magnificent Sydney harbour, with its famous bridge and Opera House. Many of you are local, from the outback or the dynamic ...read more

[Pope Benedict was officially greeted by the Australian government on Thursday, July 17th. Dignitaries included Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and the Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia Major General Michael Jeffery. The following is the Holy Father’s address from the welcome ceremony, held at Sydney’s Government House.] Your Excellencies, Dear Australian Friends, It is ...read more

Pope Benedict XVI will be officially arriving at WYD on Thursday, but in the meantime he’s spending a few days relaxing at an Opus Dei retreat centre northwest of Sydney. In addition to spending time praying, enjoying music, wandering the 25-acre property, and celebrating Mass, the Holy Father took the opportunity to make a few ...read more

The blog comes from Marilena Berardinelli, a young Toronto based Catholic teacher and WYD08 participant. In the year of the Jubilee Pope John Paul II called the WYD pilgrims gathered in Rome “to be the saints of the new millennium.” In the company of over 2,000,000 other pilgrims, I listened to words of the Holy ...read more