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Archbishop Doyle Writes Dear Friends in Christ lthough the experience of World Youth Day is now some weeks in the past, there are still some very memorable experiences which the pilgrims are able to recall very vividly. I thought that I might reflect on my own experience of being in Sydney for the week. The experience of a bishop differs in some ways from that of the young pilgrims, and those who accompany them. I believe that the organisers and the planners of this historic event did a marvellous job. There may have been some glitches, as one would expect, but overall the planning was excellent. The public occasions in particular were beautifully prepared and truly they were moments of our Liturgy being celebrated in the best possible way. I have in mind the Opening Mass, the arrival of the Holy Father, the Stations of the Cross, the Vigil on the Saturday Evening and the Final Mass on the Sunday morning. The music was magnificent, and there was a very reverent atmosphere created at each of the events. As a bishop, I had a special responsibility, having accepted an invitation to conduct the sessions of catechesis on the Wednesday, Thursday and Friday mornings, and also, to be the Principal Celebrant of the Mass which concluded the programme each morning. At each of the three venues, I was assisted by an “animation team”, the members of which prepared the venue, provided the music, and introduced the bishop to those present. On the first morning, I was assigned to the parish facility at Kenthurst, and the animation team was composed of members from the Sydney Community of the Disciples of Jesus. This group of local young people reflected very strongly the diverse ethnic composition of the Catholic Church in our larger cities, such as Sydney and Melbourne. The majority of the pilgrims attending the Wednesday morning session were from Kuwait, but they originally came from
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India. They were accompanied by an Indian priest who is a member of the Salesians, which drew attention to the fact that life is quite challenging for Christians in Kuwait. Although some of the pilgrims were born in that country, they are never entitled to citizenship of the country itself. The following day, I was assigned to speak at the Shrine of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, located at the Inner-City church, Waterloo. The pilgrims on that occasion were all people who came o riginall y f ro m Samoa, although they now live in Wellington, New Zealand. The animation team came from the same community, and so there they formed a very united group with their special songs and movements. It was a special joy to be assigned on the Friday morning to join our own Tasmanian pilgrims at the parish of Padstow. In addition to our own pilgrims, we were joined by pilgrims from Canada and Malaysia. Our animation team was a group from New York, USA, most of them were African-Americans or young people whose families had migrated from places such as the Dominican Republic. If I could reduce the themes for the catechesis to their very basic expression,
“Once again I wish to acknowledge the enormous contribution of the Catholic Youth Ministry Team”
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they would be: The Holy Spirit in the life of Jesus, the Holy Spirit in the life of the Church, and the Holy Spirit in the lives of each of us as witnesses of Jesus. The culmination of the reflection on the Holy Spirit certainly came on the Sunday, during the Final Mass, when Pope Benedict confirmed 24 young pilgrims, including two young Tasmanians. It was a very special experience for the two candidates, and their sponsors as well. What was also very special was the fact that they were pilgrims, and that they had the love and support of the entire Tasmanian group of pilgrims as well. Once again I wish to acknowledge the enormous contribution of the Catholic Youth Ministry Team, guided so well and with such enthusiasm by Fr Richard Ross. There were many who supported the team and pilgrims during their week in Sydney, and while it was a special experience for them also, they had a very responsible role to play. Over the coming weeks, time will be expended reflecting on the WYD experience, as we search for ways to build on the effort and the experience over the past months, and indeed years. I am very hopeful that the steps forward will be articulated at the Diocesan Assembly to be held in November, 2008. I invite you all to join me in giving thanks to God for the wonderful blessings which have come to so many through the recent experience of World Youth Day 2008. ADRIAN L. DOYLE Archbishop of Hobart