Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Ottawa (Fides Service) – One year ago, “Pope John Paul called youth of the world to gather in Toronto in July 2002 to experience a strong sense of faith, fraternity and commitment on the occasion of the 17th World Youth Day celebrations. And they came, youth from all parts of the world, expressing in their own way and with a renewed sense of fervour, their love, their desire to share, life and peace. Thousands of Canadian youth were deeply touched by this great event”. This is an excerpt from a Message issued by Bishop Jacques Berthelet, of Saint-Jean-Longueuil and President of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops on the Occasion of the First Anniversary of World Youth Day 2002, in which he underlines that: “ Throughout Canada the legacy of WYD continues to grow within people, not only youth, but men and women of all ages. Beyond the spectacular Toronto event that brought together hundreds of thousands of young people, there remains an internal transformation and the personal experience that is at the heart of the Gospel. This fire cannot be extinguished. One year later, youth of the world and in particular, our Canadian youth, continue to be invited to receive the profound Gospel message that it is the salt of the earth and the light of the world.”
Father Thomas Rosica who was the main organiser of World Youth Day in Toronto, also recalls the event clearly and in particular the torrential rain and wind on Sunday 28 July which soaked the thousands of young people gathered for the Papal Mass at Downsview Park, and sent everything flying, books, music, altar cloths, chairs. “For myself and for many others that was the wind of Pentecost that we hear about in the Acts of the Apostles. And yet in the midst of this violent storm, the nations of the earth – at least 172 of them huddled together in that field – understood each other as they gathered around Peter on that July morning”. Another image recalled by Father Rosica was about 4,000 media workers from all over the world who reminded him of the Gospel story of Zaccheus: “they climbed trees to peer onto this incredible story unfolding… As hundreds of thousands of young disciples filed past, one after the other the sceptical and the curious climbed down from branches to become part of the great pilgrimage.” To a world filled with fear and terror World Youth Day showed another vision, and a vision “of compelling beauty” says Father Rosica and he concludes: “I pray that the mighty wind of Pentecost may continue to blow furiously throughout the Church in Canada…it blows from sea to sea to sea Bringing to full life a church that was reborn on July 28 2002 at Downsview Park in the heart of Toronto.” SL (Fides Service 23/7/2003 EM lines 30 Words: 446)
