Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Sydney (Agenzia Fides) – The 23rd World Youth Day officially ended with the Prayer Vigil held on Saturday, July 19 and the Closing Mass on Sunday, July 20. WYD has been described by both the Holy Father and crowds of young people as “an unforgettable experience.”
The two celebrations were dedicated to the WYD theme: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses,” which was illuminated by the Word of God, the words of Benedict XVI, Eucharistic Adoration, silent prayer, and song.
On Saturday evening, over 300,000 youth gathered at the Randwick Racecourse in Sydney for the Vigil, in which Benedict XVI gave a profound catechesis on the Holy Spirit (see the other Fides article 21/7/2008). The assembly gathered there was filled with the Spirit of a New Pentecost that brought together pilgrims of every nation, tongue, and culture.
The Official WYD Hymn, “Receive the Power,” was sung by a 300-person choir in all the different languages, as a sign of the spiritual unity of the event’s participants. WYD has truly been a hymn to the Holy Spirit, reminding every young person of the words of the Australian Blessed Mary MacKillop: “Believe in the whisperings of God to your heart!”
The youth spent the night in Eucharistic Adoration, accompanied by moments of silence and meditation under the starlit sky, in expectation for the Mass to be celebrated the next day.
In the Sunday Mass marking the joyous conclusion of WYD, with over 500,000 participants, the Holy Father confirmed 24 young people: 14 Australians, and the other 10 being from Switzerland, the Czech Republic, South Africa, Vietnam, the United States, Uruguay, the Fiji Islands and other islands of Oceania, symbolically anointing all the youth of the world’s continents.
Benedict XVI addressed the crowds with vibrant words, encouraging the youth present and those watching on TV or Internet to build a world that is welcoming, just, and fraternal (see the other Fides article 21/7/2008). The Pope then announced that the location for the 24th World Youth Day would be Madrid (Spain), August 15-21, 2011.
A large attendance was registered by organizers, at the over 250 sites in Sydney where over 1,000 priests were available for administering the Sacrament of Confession. Thousands of youth, and local people as well, went to Confession and gained the Plenary Indulgence granted by the Church for WYD. The Confessions were organized to be available in various languages, to provide the Sacrament to the pilgrims who came from over 170 countries. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 21/7/2008)
