Posted: 07.16.08
Volunteer Edith Gonzalez serves food to World Youth Day pilgrims at Blessed John XXIII Parish in Stanhope Gardens, a suburb of Sydney, Australia, July 16. Rotary club and parish volunteers were serving some 220,000 sausages plus toppings to hungry youths attending catechesis across greater Sydney.
CNS | PAUL HARING
SYDNEY | World Youth Day pilgrims got their “daily bread” — figuratively and literally —July 16, as they feasted on the word of God during the first catechesis sessions of the global gathering and dined at more than 200 WYD Big Aussie BBQ venues.
More than 220,000 slices of bread — enough to cross the Sydney Harbour Bridge 21 times if laid end to end — were topped with sausages and tomato sauce and served to hungry pilgrims around Sydney.
For catechesis, pilgrims broke into groups by language and nationality and reported to assigned sites for speeches, praise and worship music and Mass, all focused on the theme “calling to live in the Holy Spirit.”
For instance, pilgrims from one of the smallest nations, the South Pacific French territory of Wallis and Futuna Islands heard in French from their local bishop, Bishop Ghislan de Rasilly, at the Parish of St Joseph in Oyster Bay. Pilgrims from New Zealand and Pakistan gathered in St. Aloysius Gonzaga Church is southern Sydney to hear the Vatican’s ambassador to Egypt, Archbishop Michael Fitzgerald.
Pilgrims from the U.S., Australia and English–speaking Canada heard from a bishop from India and were led in praise and worship by spiritandsong.com artists Steve Angrisano and Tony Melendez.
“For being involved in youth ministry for so many years, it was rewarding to see those who we had worked with as youth who are here with us as adults carrying on the faith,” said Glen Aiken, a youth minister travelling with a group from the Diocese of Palm Beach.
For many, the day was filled with anticipation of Pope Benedict XVI’s first World Youth Day appearance scheduled for the following day, dubbed “Super Holy Thursday” by organizers. The pope will visit the shrine of Mary MacKillop and then travel down Sydney Harbour on a boat–a–cade, before being welcomed at Barangaroo and go by motorcade from there to St. Mary’s Cathedral House.
The pope fueled the excitement early in the day by sending the second of his daily World Youth Day personal text messages to pilgrims: “the Holy Spirit gave the Apostles & gives u the power boldly 2 proclaim that Christ is risen! – BXVI.”
Then he paid a visit to a koala, red–necked wallaby joey and other Australian animals at the Kenthurst Study Centre.
“The Holy Father expressed that he wanted to meet some of our native animals, so we were more than happy to offer him this experience,” said World Youth Day spokesman Father Mark Podesta.
Compiled in Orlando by Denise O’Toole Kelly of the Florida Catholic staff from media reports, press releases, pilgrim journalist dispatches and other sources.
