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04 August 2016
Edition #93
2016 WORLD YOUTH DAY: YOUTH ENCOURAGED TO BE BOLD, COURAGEOUS By Marco Ceccarelli
“WORLD YOUTH Day begins today and continues tomorrow, in your homes, since that is where Jesus wants to meet you from now on.” With these words Pope Francis addressed more than 1.5 million young people at the closing World Youth Day Mass, held at Krakow’s Campus Misericordiae, on 31 July. The Mass brings an end to Pope Francis’ five day visit to Poland – a trip which saw the Pontiff visit the site of the former Nazi death camp at Auschwitz, travel to Poland’s most revered shrine, the Jasna Gora at Czestochowa, and attend the World Youth Day gatherings. Reflecting on the Gospel story of Zacchaeus, an infamous tax collector who, due to his short stature, climbed a sycamore tree to see Jesus, Pope Francis made various analogies between the obstacles that prevented Zacchaeus
Perth Archbishop Timothy Costelloe with youth from Perth who were in Poland, together with Auxiliary Bishop Don Sproxton, for the 2016 World Youth Day with Pope Francis. PHOTO: CATHOLIC YOUTH MINISTRY, PERTH
from seeing Jesus and those that today do not allow young people to fully live their faith. In one of many exhortations urging young people to fearlessly receive Jesus Christ in their lives, Pope Francis emphatically told the youth to not “be afraid to say ‘yes’ to him with all your heart,
to respond generously and to follow him! Don’t let your soul grow numb, but aim for the goal of a beautiful love which also demands sacrifice. "When it comes to Jesus, we cannot sit around waiting with arms folded; he offers us life. We can't respond by
thinking about it or 'texting' a few words," the Pope told young people, thousands of whom had spent the night camping at an area dubbed the Field of Mercy. Full Text available at
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PERTH CONTINGENT LEAVES POLAND WITH FULL HEARTS MORE THAN 180 Western Australians were in Krakow for the World Youth Day and meeting with Pope Francis. The Perth group, which travelled to Rome and Turin before making its way to Poland, was later joined by Archbishop Timothy Costelloe and Auxiliary Bishop Don Sproxton, both of whom cel-
ebrated a Holy Hour and Mass with the pilgrims at Our Lady of Mercy Parafia Rzymskokatolicka NMP Matki Miłosierdzia in Warsaw on Friday, 22 July. The Perth contingent was also privileged to participate Days in the Dioceses, a series of pre-gathering events that includes catechesis, network-
ing, prayer and worship. Taking place in the week prior to the main WYD event, every diocese in the country hosts pilgrims in an effort to show them the richness of the local Church and welcome them through hospitality. For many of the pilgrims, their highlight was staying with their host families and
spending time with the young volunteers from the parish. Jonathan Kavanagh, a first time WYD pilgrim, stated that one of the highlights of his time in Poland was getting to know the various host families and the loving volunteers. “We really bonded like we’ve Continue on page 2 1