One Bishop, 21 leaders, four chaplains, one deacon, 12 support staff and hundreds of pilgrims from the Diocese of Parramatta officially enter World Youth Day week!
After spending a week journeying through many sacred sites in France and Spain, our weary but excited travelers have now checked into their accommodation, collected their official WYD packs and started to mix with over 354,000 registered pilgrims from over 151 countries – and we know that number will surge for the main Papal events.
Over 3,000 Aussies have made it to WYD, but unfortunately, we aren’t a match for the hordes of Spanish, Italian, French, Portuguese and American pilgrims who make up the top five. But what we lack in numbers, we bring in spiritual fire.
Helping our young people with their spiritual formation over the course of the week are 737 bishops, 29 of whom are cardinals, countless priests, deacons and religious and of course, Pope Francis.
The pilgrims have overtaken Lisbon with their praying, singing, flag waving and general joyous exuberance. The first event for the week was the Opening Mass which took place at 7pm on Colina do Encontro (Meeting Hill), celebrated by Cardinal Partiarch of Lisbon, Manuel Clemente.
The Opening Mass is the first official event of the World Youth Day week and eagerly anticipates the arrival of the Holy Father the following day.
In his homily, Cardinal Patriarch Clemente welcomed everyone – Catholics, Christians, and those from ecumenical and interreligious groups and asked them to all “feel at home in this common home where we will live World Youth Day.”
The Mass focused on the Visitation of our Lady, which is the motto for World Youth Day 2023: “Mary arose and went with haste”. Cardinal Partriarch Clemente spoke of the three components of the Visitation – Mary set out; she travelled to the country in haste; and entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. He likened these to the journey of the pilgrims.
Like Mary, our pilgrims had to go through a challenging journey due to the distance, connections, cost and anxieties about travelling. Mary carried Jesus in her womb, and “Christians also carry Him, spiritually and actually because they receive Him in the Word, the sacraments, and in charity, where He offers Himself. Since we believe in Jesus as a path to God, we walk with Him to bring Him to others. With the same impulse that led Mary, in the same Spirit that leads us, let us head out!” said Cardinal Clemente.
Mary also went “in haste”. Cardinal spoke of the difference of going “in haste” and “anxiously”.
“The haste is different; it is to share what already carries us forward. That is why it is an urgency that is serene and without trampling. How you got here and how you will be here, bringing to others what brought you,” he said.
And finally, Mary greeted Elizabeth.
“Let us learn from Mary to greet each and every person. Let us intensely put it to practice this World Youth Day. The new world begins in the newness of every encounter and in the sincerity of the greeting we exchange, so that we may be people among people, in a mutual and constant visitation.
“Lisbon welcomes you wholeheartedly, and so the other lands in which you have been or will be in this Portugal will also be yours,” said Cardinal Clemente.
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Read Cardinal Partriarch Manuel Clemente’s homily here.
