Australian rules: Not just football

The Wisconsin pilgrims battle out a game of "footy," or Australian-rules football, against the youth of St. Peter Chanel Parish in Deer Park. (Catholic Herald photo by Ben Emmel)

SYDNEY — Tomato sauce, biscuits, and football: seem straight forward? Not in Australia. The different meaning of these words from their American definitions are only a few examples of the many small cultural differences between the US and Australia.

Receiving the power from the Holy Spirit

Greetings from Sydney!  The Madison youth have arrived safely at World Youth Day held in the largest city in Australia, and have been trying to settle in at Sacred Heart parish in the suburb of Mosman. I say “trying” because, in the journey by bus from Melbourne to Sydney, the luggage of all 72 pilgrims was lost in transit. While Fr. Paul Arinze, group leader, has furiously been tracking the missing bags down, the Madison youth are “roughing it” as true pilgrims on the way to Christ.

Today, Tuesday, is the opening Mass celebrated by Cardinal George Pell of Sydney. Over 225,000 pilgrims are here from every corner of the globe. As you walk the streets of the city, you see each group proudly wearing and displaying their national flag, singing hymns and cheering with each fellow pilgrim who passes by. Walking from the Sydney Opera House to the Darlington, one feels, as the WYD theme song goes, the power of the Holy Spirit present in all the Catholic youth, celebrating their faith.

Forward to Sydney

While the time spent in Melbourne has been nothing short of fantastic, it is time for the Madison pilgrims to move on and travel the pilgrim’s path to the Holy Father. Today, young people from all over the state of Victoria and beyond are traveling to Sydney for the start of the official World Youth Day events. The Madison youth bring their newfound friendship with the young people of St. Peter Chanel, and, armed with new knowledge of Australian rules football, drive by bus 10 hours to the site of the 23rd gathering of Catholic youth. Check back soon for complete updates, including a rundown of the Days in the Diocese program. Until then, it’s g’day mate!

Editorial: One, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic Faith

The Madison seminarians gather at the train station before heading into Melbourne, Australia. (Catholic Herald photo by Ben Emmel)

The pilgrimage to World Youth Day has been an incredible experience so far. The graciousness and generosity of our hosts here at St. Peter Chanel has been invaluable to the pilgrims — the people have truly opened up their homes and lives to us, giving the Madison youth a Days in the Dioceses experience like no other.

A warm ‘Aussie’ welcome for Madison pilgrims

The American and Australian youth come together after performing several skits based on the Parables (Catholic Herald photo by Ben Emmel)

DEER PARK — The families of St. Peter Chanel Parish here greeted the Madison pilgrims with open arms Thursday, opening their homes and beds to the excited, but tired youth traveling to Australia. After being picked up at the parish Wednesday afternoon, the pilgrims returned with their host families for rest, food, and conversation. Everyone reported being very happy with the accommodations and generosity of the Australia hosts.

The times are a-changin’

The sun rises over the Sydney Opera House (Photo by Musskl Prozz)

MELBOURNE, Australia — Twenty-five hours in the air. Another 10 hours spent sitting in airports. A 15 hour time change, and “three days” spent in traveling. All this was just endured by the Madison pilgrims — but now they have finally arrived in Melbourne, Australia, the first stage in the WYD08 pilgrimage.

The pilgrims’ progress

The joy of the journey is apparent in seminarian John Putzer as he boards the buses outside the Bishop O’Connor Center for World Youth Day. After a Mass with pilgrims, friends, and family, the group set off in buses for Chicago, from where they will take a series of flights to Melbourne for Days in the Diocese. (Catholic Herald photo by Kat Wagner)

MADISON — After a Mass celebrated by Msgr. James Bartylla, director of vocations for the diocese, and concelebrated by Fr. Paul Arinze, Fr. Eric Sternberg, and Fr. Tait Schroeder, the pilgrims from the Diocese of Madison set off on their voyage to Australia.

Immediately following the Mass, Father Arinze blessed an icon of St. Raphael that will be traveling with the group.

Friends and family waved off the buses from the Bishop O’Connor Center at 7:45 a.m. on July 7 on the first leg of the journey to World Youth Day. The group departing in the two coach buses included 75 young people.

More than 100 pilgrims from the diocese will be attending the events in Sydney, including Bishop Morlino and the diocesan pilgrims, a group from St. Paul University Catholic Center in Madison led by Fr. Eric Nielsen, and a delegation of the Schoenstatt Movement from Wisconsin and Minnesota.

Holy Father asks for WYD prayers

From the Catholic News Agency:

VATICAN CITY — (CNA) Before the recitation of the Angelus on Sunday, July 6 in Castel Gandolfo, Pope Benedict XVI requested prayers for his upcoming trip to Sydney, Australia for the 23rd World Youth Day. The Holy Father said, “My head is already in Australia, where God willing, I will go next Saturday, July 12. Over the last few months the Youth Cross has traveled across Oceania. In Sydney there will be a silent witness of the alliance between Our Lord Jesus Christ and the next generation.” The Pontiff then reviewed the major activities to take place during WYD and stressed that the “Australian Bishops Conference has prepared everything with care, correctly with the collaboration of the civil authorities. The first groups of young people are departing from the other continents for Australia. I invite the entire Church to participate in this next phase of the great youth pilgrimage to the world, initiated in 1985 by the Servant of God John Paul II.”

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‘Usus antiquor’ at World Youth Day

From the New Liturgical Movement:

SYDNEY, Australia (NLM) — His Eminence Cardinal George Pell will celebrate Solemn Pontifical Vespers at the Throne, in the usus antiquior, as part of WYD in Sydney. The Vespers will be celebrated on Wednesday July 16 at 4.00pm, at St. Augustine’s church, 3 Jane Street, Balmain. The Vespers will be followed by Pontifical Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament. Other prelates and clergy are expected to attend in choir, including Bishop Basil Meeking, Ecclesiastical patron of Juventutem Australia, Bishop Geoffrey Jarrett of Lismore etc. The Vespers and Benediction will be filmed by EWTN for subsequent broadcast on ‘Life on the Rock’. This will include an EWTN interview with Cardinal Pell. Prior to this at 2.00pm, Scott Turkington will be holding another official WYD event – a 90 min chant workshop for Juventutem and other WYD pilgrims called “A Chant Event.” After Vespers, in the evening at St Augustine’s, Francis Cardinal George of Chicago will be leading a Rosary Vigil for the Holy Father’s intentions (20 decades of the Rosary) as well giving a short homily on each set of Mysteries. Everyone is welcome to attend any of these events on Wed, July 16 at St. Augustines. The easiest way to get there from the city is by ferry from Circular Quay or Darling Harbour – full details are on the Juventutem Australia website at http://www.juventutem-australia.com

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12 hours and counting…

A panorama of Melbourn's Yarra River. (Photo by David Iliff)

MADISON — The time has come for the Madison pilgrims to depart for their destination: Australia. Monday morning, the diocesan group leaves the Bishop O’Connor Catholic Pastoral Center in Madison to drive to Chicago, and take their 13-hour flight to Tokyo, Japan.