The end of a voyage

The pilgrims sing the WYD theme song "Receive the Power" one last time at the Bishop O'Connor Center Friday. (Catholic Herald photo by Kat Wagner)

MADISON — All good things must come to an end, as the saying goes, and the Diocese of Madison pilgrimage to WYD08 has too come to a close. The 75 pilgrims arrived back in Madison Friday afternoon exhausted and fatigued, but full of the Holy Spirit after “receiving the power” in Sydney, Australia for the past two weeks.

The pilgrims flew from Australia Thursday morning, arriving in Japan and spending a night’s lay-over until Friday morning. They then departed from the Narita Airport, arriving again in Madison on Friday due to traveling over the International Date Line.

The night’s stay in Japan was an added bonus to the Australian pilgrimage. Many of the young people had not been in the East Asian country before, and took the opportunity to spend the night in the small airport town of Narita. Many simply experienced for a short while the Japanese culture — a few took advantage of the local cuisine, while a group of seminarians sang the night away in a karaoke bar.

Returning home, however, brings its mixed blessing on the pilgrims. Certainly, all are enjoying the rest and respite from the non-stop schedule of traveling, Days in the Diocese, and World Youth Day. But for many of the Madison pilgrims, they return to Wisconsin changed, imbued with the Holy Spirit and ready to carry out their missions as Catholics in the world, as says the WYD theme: “You will receive power from the Holy Spirit, and you will be my witnesses” (Acts 1:8).

Anica Schmitz, pilgrim on the diocesan tour, said that she was spiritually renewed at several points throughout the trip, especially when being around Pope Benedict and the thousands of other Catholic youth. But it was also the small moments on the journey that kindled the Spirit within her.

Fr. Paul Arinze shows off his thank-you gift, a shirt signed by all the pilgrims.

“There was one time when I went to go pray in the church (Sacred Heart in Mosman) for adoration,” she said, “but it was closed. So I ended up just praying for an hour in front of the crucifix outside.” Schmitz added that this instance was the most fruitful of her times in Australia.

The pilgrims have already started to make plans to keep the “spirit” of the journey alive. Many are connected though social networking Web sites, such as Facebook, or the official WYD site XT3.com. Fr. Paul Arinze said that a reunion of the pilgrims will take place some time later this year, and encouraged the young people to stay in contact.

Pope Benedict XVI, in his final address to the young people at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, spoke of these challenges of returning to one’s home countries after World Youth Day. It can be difficult, the Holy Father said, but the young people must be the witnesses to the world.

“Dear young friends, the Lord is asking you to be prophets of this new age, messengers of his love, drawing people to the Father and building a future of hope for all humanity,” said Pope Benedict.

“The Church also needs this renewal!” he challenged. “She needs your faith, your idealism, and your generosity, so that she can always be young in the Spirit.”

After seeing all the pilgrims of the world, the Church looks alive and young in the Spirit indeed.

Two pilgrims run home in excitement. "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses."