In the Jubilee year & after world youth day 2000, the Lord unfolded His plans for CAYG…Six new ministries were born in that year, namely, Music, Drama, Social events, Adoration, Hospitality and the Rosary ministry.
Although the Rosary ministry existed long before, it was officially called a ministry in this year. Media ministry began in April 2006. Many youth have encountered Jesus through these ministries over the years.
copyright of
WYD 2008 ACN 118 060
987 as Trustee for the
World Youth Day 2008 Trust
Wherever we are, we can't forget that we are Come Alive - even unto the ends of the earth. In this column we showcase some snapshots of CAYGers on the road as well as short testimonies of overseas members. In this issue, we cover pilgrims from Come Alive who went and experienced WYD'08 in Sydney, Australia.
Receive the Power from the Holy Spirit... Act 1:8
by Tabitha Miranda
How do you describe the World Youth Day experience? It isn’t easy especially if you’ve been blessed enough to attend four! Sometimes the details blur and merge into one another until they resemble a miasma of sights, sounds and vivid images .But the one constant that remains is the impact that it leaves on your spiritual life.
The journey starts during the days in the diocese where pilgrims are put up at their hosts homes. Thesefamilies open their homes and thereby expose segments of their personality, a little bit of their soul. You read it in the picture frames, books, furniture even the contents at the breakfast table. In return, you expose facets of your personality in the conversations you have, your habits, your likes and dislikes. In a way, the experience becomes a lesson in learning to let go and let God, as the phrase goes.
A truly ecumenical experience in the deepest sense of the word. By the time we departed there were more than just a few teary eyes. Complete strangers at the beginning of the journey, now we are ‘family’. A mixture of sadness and joy remains from sharing an indescribable experience of fellowship in one week. Perhaps this is a precursor of what our heavenly reunion will be like and it is a joy that no one can take from us.
A Glimpse of WYD'08 from the eyes of CAYG pilgrims: praying, making friends, fellowship, putting up with the cold, the walk to the vigil, the vigil night, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, Mass
Images left to right: Blessed Mary MacKillop
(1842 - 1909), Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati (1901 - 1925), Servant of God John Paul II (1920 - 2005) receiving Holy Communion from Cardinal Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI)
Simona shares with us what her hosts in Australia experienced and how they felt about being a 'WYD Pilgrim Mum & Dad'
Hi how are going? Or should I say G'day! I'm sure it was very fruitful for both of you (Rachel and Simona) as it is for us here. You have enriched us with your great faith and generous witnessing of the living God. We are so touched by this great experience. We didn’t know what to expect at first, only heard of it last year when our Parish Priest announced WYD and what needs to be prepared trying to really involve our own youth to participate.
It made our two parishes bond closer together, no competition, no selfishness, just people united because of love of God and filled with joy and peace. It touched the hearts of so many people. Your enthusiasm and generosity are so inspiring. Our family is so thankful that we met you through the WYD. You are so full of love and gratitude in everyone and everything; love and appreciate the beauty of our place. Thank you very much for being part of our family. We are so privileged and honoured to be called your "other mum and dad"
I was able to have few trips to Sydney to attend the occasions. Walked a long way from Central to Randwick Racecourse at the Papal Mass but its all worth it. I cried at The Pope's Homily or message for all of us. Les and the kids watched it all in TV. We loved all the WYD experience, that we all said we will go in the next one in Madrid .
God Bless you all and all your loved ones.
xoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
Miss you and love you
Love always, Mum and Dad Wilson
A sharing from the Gittani family where Geraldine and Harriet stayed...
We now have very precious memories of this amazing experience to last a lifetime.
After hosting the pilgrims, the whole family, more than thirty people, got into the spirit of WYD. I think the Holy Spirit was with us. We may have provided shelter and food for the pilgrims, but they provided us with this warm and funny feeling, a taste of being very young again, of wanting to pray and learn about God, and above all, pride in our beliefs and values. It's not everyday a seventeen year old girl sits on my lounge and tells me that she loves Jesus and how she feels about all our values.
I also enjoyed sharing with the youth other activities, because WYD is not just a journey for prayer, it's about friendship and the grace of the Holy Spirit. We celebrated our faith as we did our hair, went out to coffee and Oporto chicken, and watched movies and played cards. The experience was a fantastic one and it was a blessing to our family.
Silvana Gittani.
We did COME ALIVE...
by Malcom D'Souza
Malcom and Shereen D'Souza were part of CAYG and have now moved on to settle in Australia. Here is what they had to share about World Youth Day.
To say that we truly did 'come alive' this WYD is a bit of an understatement. Living in Sydney these past two years has always made us nostalgic for the friendship and spirit felt in the Come Alive group and WYD 2008 was an overwhelming experience that we really needed. Though we did attend the activities of World Youth Day this time, we were also locals who lived in the host city and this presented us with a different perspective on the event.
Despite the many misgivings and cynicism presented by the local Australian media about Ozzie tax dollars being pumped into a 'Catholic event', we think the sheer joy and humility of the pilgrims from all over 'converted' the media's tune completely.
The Holy Spirit's transforming power was evident from the very beginning with the Days in the Diocese where it was a real hands on experience for many pilgrims with the Ozzie outback and bush life but most homestay hosts were the ones who were dramatically moved and enlivened by the pilgrims staying with them.
When WYD literally took over the city of Sydney through the Opening mass, Stations of the Cross and the Final Mass the normally bustling and aesthetic city venues exuded a warmer, harmonious and spiritual feeling. As in all World Youth Day's the pilgrims are always enthusiastic, language is never a barrier and this really amazed most locals who did not know what World Youth Day was because most pilgrims didn't need reasons and just said 'hello', smiled and rejoiced about their faith and life. It was normal!
Alongside the deeply personal experience of each pilgrim perhaps the next most remarkable thing was to see the power of the Holy Spirit working so quietly through what is quite a secular majority of people. A month after World Youth day a senior citizen in a shopping mall approached Shereen who was wearing a World Youth Day jacket and said 'Oh hello young lady, wasn't World Youth Day just wonderful?' And so we continue to bear witness along with you all across borders.
We miss you all. Love and God Bless from Mally and Shereen
To say that we truly did 'come alive' this WYD is a bit of an understatement. Living in Sydney these past two years has always made us nostalgic for the friendship and spirit felt in the Come Alive group and WYD 2008 was an overwhelming experience that we really needed. Though we did attend the activities of World Youth Day this time, we were also locals who lived in the host city and this presented us with a different perspective on the event. 