HUGH’S    DIARY

August 1 - Monday

A TALK ON POVERTY, CHASTITY AND OBEDIENCE

When I'm in Dublin Fr John, our novice master at the community on the Inchicore Rd, usually asks me to give a talk to the novices.  There are two novices in the community at the moment who come from a country that cannot be mentioned in a web page because their country is still very much under the thumb of the communists, and if they googled and found out they were preparing for the priesthood and religious life they could be in trouble.

The novitiate is a spiritual year where people who have asked to join our community live our life, learn about it and prepare to take their vows of poverty, chastity and obedience.  When we have finished our novitiate we take temporary vows for a year.  These can be renewed for 3-9 years before taking Final Vows.  We need to be in Final Vows before we can be ordained to the priesthood.  Last week at Malpas the group met Brother Richard who looks after the dining room and Brother Joseph who is retired but is not shy about telling his jokes or trying to sell his daliesque paintings.  This raised the question about the difference between Brothers and Priests.  We all become Brothers when we take our first vows.  There is no distinction between us in terms of religious life, but before we take our Final Vows we have to say whether it is with the intention of becoming a priest or not.  Most in our community become priests.  A Brother is the male equivalent of a Sister.

The vows of poverty, chastity and obedience are also called the evangelical counsels, based on the advice that Jesus gives in the Gospels.  The vows are not just confined to these three aspects, but sum up the intention to live according to the life and teaching of Jesus.  All Christians are called to live this way, but Religious make a public commitment of it.

Another time I will go into the vows in more detail.  I stressed to the novices that they must be prepared to commit themselves to what the Church and the community understands by the vows, yet on the other hand they must be able to personalise them and reflect on what will be more difficult for them and how they see themselves being freed up to dedicate themselves to the work of the Church and the community.  It is also good to make up a personal vow, based on our experience of life, our gifts and talents and struggles.  The founder, Leo Dehon, wrote a personal vow based on his determination to live his life based on love, accepting God's love and trying to love in return.

Why not write your own prayer dedication to God, even if it is just a sentence or a phrase, even a sigh or a wish.  It can sum up where we see ourselves in life and where we would like to grow under God's protection.  Don't make silly promises.  Two people might commit themselves to each other at all kinds of levels.  Why not do that to God, because he is committed to us. 

August 2 - Tuesday

LEO DEHON'S PRAYER OF DEDICATION

Yesterday I wrote about vows and suggested that we write a prayer of dedication ourselves.  The following is something that Leo Dehon wrote in 1878, the year he founded the Priests of the Sacred Heart.  He called it "The Pact of Love".  He renewed it every day.

Pact of Love

O Jesus,

before you and your Heavenly Father,

in the presence of

Mary Immaculate, my Mother,

and Saint Joseph, my protector,

I vow to dedicate myself

from love alone to your Sacred Heart;

to concentrate my life and energy

to the work of

the Oblates of your Heart,

accepting in advance

all the trials and sacrifices

it may please you to ask of me.

Father,

I vow to have as my intention

in all that I do

the sole love of Jesus

and His Sacred Heart,

and I beg you to move my heart,

to inflame it with love for you

so that, not only shall I have

the intention and the desire

to love you

but also the happiness of seeing,

by your holy grace,

all the affections of my heart

centred upon you alone.

Daily Renewal

My Jesus, I renew with love the pact I made with you.  Grant me the grace of being faithful to it.

I have a terrible admission to make.  I have not written a prayer of dedication or vow myself.  I only thought of the idea when I was preparing my talk for yesterday.  I will write something, but I will keep it to myself.

August 3 - Wednesday

EMAIL FORUM ON COMMUNITY.

There are about 20 people in the email discussion group on Community.  Here is my response to some of the ideas that have been going around.

I have been reading with interest the various ideas that have come from the Community email group.   About the idea of gathering at our community house at Smithstone, Kilwinning near Glasgow, we could get some possible dates from Father Steven and people could say when would be a good time for them.

Yes, we can learn a lot from the JVC (there are a couple of people in the 2030 groups who have experience with JVC, they may be able to advise) and other Communities that are up and running, but it's also important to listen to the wisdom of our own group and see what we want to do, rather than fitting in to a pattern set up by others 20 years ago.  New wine, new wine skins. Also with any 2030 community we would want to start softly and gradually and build up through reflection and prayer amongst ourselves.

One of the principles behind project 20/30 is that no one should feel obliged to do anything, and no one should feel excluded from anything that is being organised.  People see that as one of the strengths of the group, but it can also be a weakness if things are left too vague. We have just finished the holiday retreat at Malpas last week.  There people were free to come to the prayers or talks etc and that seemed to work very well with those who were looking for a more spiritual time and those who were looking for more of a break. If we set up a community there will be different levels of hopes and expectations and commitment. Would a Community survive if it was fluid to cope with different levels?

From my experience of a religious Community we all make the same commitment but inevitably and naturally some people are better at certain things and some are more interested in different aspects.  For example in a Community someone might spend twice as long praying as the others or someone might work many more hours than others.  Individuals might like to chat more together whereas others need their own space.  You cannot legislate for differences in character and ability, but that is what makes Community so strong, because you have different gifts and talents, and no one is made to feel better or worse than anyone else.

Someone raised the question of age.  We need to hear what people feel about that.  Would people prefer to be with others who are near their age, or would it be better to have a good balance of ages from across the groups with the enthusiasm of youth and the wisdom of older ones, even though the wisdom might reside in the youngest person and the older person is the most enthusiastic.

Yes, there are dehonian groups of younger people in other countries.  We met quite a few of them at the European gathering in Malpas last year.  They are not living in communities but many have a good understanding of dehonian spirituality for younger lay people and could be a big help to us in the future.

I don't think I've done justice to the various suggestions and comments that people have made, but these are some thoughts. If anyone feels that their comments or ideas are being neglected within the email group then they can always raise them again.

August 4 - Thursday

THANKS TO THE GROUP

Many people from other countries have found the group a great support while they have been here.  This is an email that someone sent recently thanking us before going home.

I drop this quick email to say good bye to all of you and wish you all the best in the future. After 5 years in London, it's time for me to go back to France at the end of the month.

Through the experience of the Project 2030, I have been very impressed to see that young UK Catholics were not an extinct species as Dinosaurs. On the contrary, you are a living, active and interesting group of people.  Maybe a minority, but sometimes quality is much preferred to quantity...

My regrets are :
- not having joined earlier the 2030 group
- not making the possibility to have been to more events.

But each of them - meals, drinks, home groups, week-end (I'll always remember the one in Glasgow with the incredible ceilidh evening), etc... - is a great opportunity to meet new faces every time (it surprises me to a point where I wonder how much people are part of the group !).  The annual parties are also an important time and opportunity to catch up with people, especially groups travelling from all over UK and Ireland.  All these moments of life are special, maybe because "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in the midst of them."

A big thank to Father Hugh, for dedicating his service in this great project.

I have a special thought to all of you in this harsh time (London bombings). Let's keep faith to be strong and always face difficult moments in life.   I look forward seeing you somewhere someday (God only knows...)

August 5 - Friday

PEMBROKESHIRE COASTAL WALK

There are 15 setting out today to do the Pembrokeshire Coastal Walk along the west coast of Wales, 4 from Scotland, 3 from London and the rest from the North West.  At least 10 of them have done one of the summer walks before, and some have done them all.  This is the 4th walk Duncan has arranged.  Previously they did St Cuthbert's Way along the borders between England and Scotland, the Donegal Way in Ireland, and last year the West Highland Way from Glasgow to Inverness.  Last year I did half of the walk and the memories of it brightened many a winter's day.  This year I couldn't make it because of heading off to Germany on Tuesday for the World Youth Days.  This is their itinerary.

Sat 06/08    St Dogmaels to Newport (10 miles)

Sun 07/08    to Goodwick (10.5 miles)

Mon 08/08    to Abercastle (8 miles) or Trefin

Tues 09/08    to Whitesands Bay (12 miles) or St David's (via Llanrhian)

Wed 10/08    Day off

Thu 11/08    to Solva (12 miles)

Fri 12/08    to Broadhaven (10 miles)

Sat 13/08    to Marloes Sands (12 miles)

Sun 14/08    Day off, or travel home

They will be staying in Bed and Breakfasts or Youth Hostels.  You don't need to carry a heavy pack.  Each day the bags are transported ahead by taxi.  Where to next year?  

August 6 - Saturday

LOOK AWAY NOW.  IT'S NOT CRICKET.

Unusual to have a Saturday morning in the office, catching up on some things, paying a few bills, etc.  In the past four months have only spent about one full day a week in the office.  How easily you find yourself just responding to what is going on instead of planning, creating and thinking ahead.  There are certain things going on in the groups, or not going on, that could do with a bit more regular time to deal with.

Also keeping an eye on England v Australia.  Some find it hard to understand that a Scotsman is interested in cricket, but we played the game at seminary.  During my novitiate I also played for the local village team in Worcestershire, but I was just making up the numbers  - batting average of 3, never bowled, though I was the fittest fielder in an ageing side.  Round about that time 2 'Scots' (Denness and Greig) were captains of England so I've always supported the home side.

The football is also starting again.  In the afternoon walked up to catch the end of the Stockport v Mansfield game.  My predictions for the top teams in each league this season are:

The Premiership: Chelsea, Man Utd, Arsenal

The Championship: Norwich, Wolves, Sheffield Utd

League One: Notts Forest, Bristol City, Tranmere

League Two: Northampton, Wycombe, Wrexham

Premier League: Celtic, Rangers, Hearts

First Division: Dundee, St Mirren, St Johnstone

Second Division: Gretna, Morton, Partick

Third Division: Berwick Stenhousmuir, Elgin

The Premier Division is more than half way through, with Cork, Derry and Shelbourne at the top, so no point in trying to guess for Ireland.

COMPETITION: Why not have a guess which teams will come in the top three positions.  If anyone gets more points than me I'll get them a ticket for a Man Utd game next season.  Three points for the correct position, one point for coming in the top three.  Send to hugh@project2030.fsnet.co.uk 

August 7 - Sunday

THE ATTRACTION OF SINGLE PEOPLE

This week's Tablet has a leading article with the above title.  It's not very often you get things about the single life in Church circles, so I have printed it below.  At the end is a copy of what I've written to the Editor.  You might want to respond yourself by emailing thetablet@thetablet.co.uk or see www.thetablet.co.uk  for copies of this Catholic weekly which is printed in London.

For a generation, the fictional heroine Bridget Jones was a symbol of all that was wrong with the single life: she was lonely, needy and desperate to find a husband.  Today it seems the single are among the most content people in society.  According to a new survey, single people aged between 25 and 54 are career-minded, successful and comfortable with their status.  They no longer feel that the rest of society classes them as odd.  Part of that may well be caused by sheer numbers: about 48 per cent of the British adult population is now single, and by 2010 more than 40 per cent of households are expected to be occupied by single people.

Many of them will doubtless by the elderly, living alone after being widowed.  Others will be the divorced and separated, particularly fathers exiled from the family home.  However, a sizeable number will be people who have never been other than bachelors and spinsters.  But, as Terry Eagleton notes on page 17, such terms are old hat.  The Registrar General, in an attempt to keep up with the times, has decreed that marriage certificates will no longer use terms which many no doubt think belong in the works of Jane Austen rather than in the legal paperwork of the 21st century.  All those marrying, or contracting a civil partnership, will in future be classed as single.

The Registrar General may well be on to something.  It is no longer a truth universally acknowledged that a man in possession of a good fortune is in want of a wife.  Certainly a woman once known as a spinster no longer feels such a strong urge in the 21st century Western world to seek out a husband at a young age.  Education and her own career prospects have put paid to that.  The Church, however, has not yet caught up with these cultural changes.  It still continues to recognise only two vocations: to the religious life and the married life.  It is certainly wise for the Church to nurture those with a religious vocation and equally important to focus its attention on young families and the people raising the next generation.  But that other group, the single people who remain unmarried for many years or never marry, and who are reportedly comfortable and at ease in society at large, are not so at ease in a Church that does not seem to recognise that they exist, let along know what to do with them.

One step will be to consider the position of such single people.  Another more profound one will be to consider both their needs and also the gifts they in turn can offer the Church.  But the most pressing concern must be to question whether they are welcomed at all in our parishes.  Many younger single people have found a welcome in the Church's new movements, and we should ask whether the rest of us have proffered similar hospitality.

As the number of priests dwindle, and the laity's role increases, single people without the immediate responsibility of families could well be the vital resource the Church needs if vibrant parish communities are to thrive.  Necessity may well be the reason why the Church at last catches up with demographics.

To the Editor, The Tablet:

Thank you for highlighting the needs of single people (Editorial 6 August) though I'm not sure how fair it is to say that the Church does not recognise the vocation to the single life, even if much more could be done.  Project 2030, which caters for Catholics in their 20s and 30s, has run days and weekends highlighting the vocation to the single life, and there are some great examples of faithfulness and dedication out there.

August 8 - Monday

BOMBS IN LONDON - JULY 2005

Mary D from the London group has sent in her experience of the bombs in London last month. Lets keep all the Londoners in our thoughts and prayers at this difficult time.

The other evening I was speaking to a friend, in his late 20s, who was on one of the bombed tube trains.  He wasn't injured at all, but has been deeply affected by the experience.  It can be very difficult at times like these to find the right words to say. 

There were problems with my train journey the morning of the bombs meaning I had to get a tube from Farringdon.  I got off a clockwise Circle Line tube at Moorgate (the stop before Liverpool Street) at 8.46am - I noted the time as I was concerned I was running late due to delays on my train journey.  

Due to the time I got to Moorgate I am fairly certain the bombed Aldgate train was either my train (depending on delays) or was the train just after it.  Quite frightening to think I was so close as it was a timed device. I dread to think what would have happened if my journey had been delayed by just a few minutes more.  With a great many people in such a concentrated area, I’m sure a large number were close to the bombs that morning and have ‘What-if’ scenarios running through their heads.

Initial news reports said there had also been a blast at Moorgate, it appeared from Media reports that this had been minutes after I got out of the station. I didn't find out this was incorrect until the afternoon, there was no blast at Moorgate. I am about 5 minutes walk from Liverpool Street and I heard a large number of sirens around 9am.  I knew it was something major when I couldn't get a signal on my mobile phone. 

With the London transport network shut down I didn’t know if I would be able to get home at all that day.  However, mid-afternoon it became possible.  As the tube was network closed, with the aid of map, I walked for around an hour to Euston to get a train out of London.  Walking around the cordoned off area near Kings Cross made an event which seemed at the time ‘surreal’, very real indeed. 

It was a difficult day especially I know a great many people who commute into London. The experience has given me a real appreciation of the feelings and emotions one goes through in these times.  It also gives me greater empathy with those who have experienced similar situations.  I think I can quite confidently say all of us in London suffered that day.  For some the degree of suffering was very great indeed.

My thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families and friends.

August 9 - Tuesday

OFF TO WORLD YOUTH DAY, COLOGNE

Today I'm heading down to Stanstead to fly out to Frankfurt tomorrow for the World Youth Days, there are 18 of us going representing all 4 countries. Adrian is giving me a lift after lunch to Knutsford service station on the M6 where Liam and Andy are picking me up by car. We are staying near Stanstead with the brother of Matt who married Michelle in the North west last year.

When we arrive in Germany we will be staying with families in the parish of Muden on the Mosel river (Moselle), this is near the Dehonian community at Martental (you could 'Google' Martental I'm sure, as it's a big centre). We will be spending the first day getting to know our families, then we will meet up with other groups that have come to this area from Sacred Heart communities. We will be doing things in the Parish and also attending events run by the diocese of Trier. They are expecting almost 1 million young people, so there could be 20-50,000 in Trier and maybe 1000 staying around our Parish.

One evening the Dehonian groups are getting together and we have to do a presentation from our countries, because we are travelling from so many different directions the 2030 group has not prepared anything yet, it could be songs, I know there are a couple of good singers coming.

On Monday 15th August, we travel to Bonn where we are likely to be staying in a sports hall or a school, sleeping on the floor. From Bonn we travel most days into Cologne which is only 30 minutes away, to join in the big events that are arranged there for WYD. When we were in Toronto 3 years ago, the Pope arrived to a massive reception on the Thursday evening. Then we have the vigil on the Saturday evening at an airfield that can take over 1,000,000. We sleep out that night because it will be impossible for everyone to try and get back to their base. Then on the Saturday morning it's the final mass with the Pope, there will be all kinds of other events and workshops arranged in Cologne. The atmosphere in Toronto was electric and we sang all the time in buses and trains as we took over the city.

On the Sunday afternoon we travel back to Martental where we will be staying in the centre there and flying back to Stanstead on the Monday.

I hope to have access to a computer to send a few reports from Germany over the next 2 weeks. In the diary we will also have other information and reports on WYD. If you see anything interesting on it while you are 'Googling' send it to Hugh@project2030.fsnet.co.uk.

August 10 - Wednesday

QUOTES FROM POPE JOHN PAUL II REGARDING WORLD YOUTH DAY

"Responsibility for this present reality and for its shape and many different forms lies first of all with adults.  To you belongs responsibility for what will one day become reality together with yourselves, but which still lies in the future." (1985)

"I reaffirm my conviction: youth faces a difficult yet exciting task: changing the underlying mechanisms that promote egotism and repression in relations." (1985)

"I would like to repeat to you what I told you on the first day of my pontificate: that you are the hope of the Holy Father, the hope of the Church."  And the Pope called on young people to work constructively in shaping the world: "In this way you are building the civilisation of life and truth, of freedom and justice, of love, reconciliation and peace." (Buenos Aires 1987)

"The Church has so much to talk about with youth, and youth have so much to share with the Church.  This mutual dialogue, by taking place with great cordiality, clarity and courage, will provide a favourable setting for the meeting and exchange between generations, and will be a source of richness and youthfulness for the Church and civil society." (Christefideles Laici - 1988)

"Do not stifle your conscience! The conscience is our real heart and shrine, where we are alone with God... Do not be afraid to go out on the streets and into public places... This is no time to be ashamed of the Gospel... Do not be afraid to break out of comfortable and routine modes of living and to take up the challenge of making Christ known in the modern 'metropolis'." (Denver)

"Are you capable of giving yourselves, your time, your energy and your talent to the well-being of others?  Are you capable of love?  If you are, Church and society can expect great things of each one of you." (The Philippines - 1995)

"In the great Cathedral in Cologne are honored the relics of the Magi, the Wise Men from the East, who followed the star which led them to Christ.  As pilgrims, your spiritual journey to Cologne starts today.  Christ awaits you there for the Twentieth World Youth Day." (Toronto 2002)

"The Days in fact were born, also in response to an initiative of young people themselves, of a desire to offer them a significant 'break' on the on-going pilgrimage of faith, which is indeed nurtured by meetings with young people of other nations and sharing respective experiences." (1996)

August 11 - Thursday

FURTHER QUOTES FROM JOHN PAUL II

"The principal objective of the Days is to make the person of Jesus the centre of the faith and life of every young person so that he may be their constant point of reference and also the inspiration of every initiative and commitment for the education of the new generations.  This is the slogan of every Youth Day, and through this decade, the Days have been like an uninterrupted and pressing call to build life and faith upon the rock, who is Christ." (1996)

"In young people the Church sees herself and her mission to mankind: with them she faces the challenges of the future, aware that all humanity needs to be rejuvenated in spirit.  This pilgrimage of the young members of the people builds bridges of brotherhood and hope between continents, peoples and cultures.  It is a journey which is always in action, like life, like youth." (1996)

"The different moments of which a Youth Day is composed, form a sort of prolonged catechesis, a proclamation of the path of conversion to Christ, starting from the deepest experiences and questions of the daily life of the addressees.  The Word of God is the central point, catechetical reflection is the method, prayer is the nutriment, and communication and dialogue, the style." (1996)

"A Youth Day offers a young person a vivid experience of faith and communion, which will help to face the profound questions of life and to responsibly assume his or her place in society and in the ecclesial community." (1996)

"During these unforgettable Youth Meetings, I have often been deeply touched by young peoples' joyous, spontaneous love for God and for the Church.  They tell of suffering borne for the Gospel, of apparently irremovable obstacles overcome with God's help: they speak of their anguish before a world tormented by despair, cynicism and conflict.  Each new Meeting leaves me with an ever greater desire to praise God for revealing to young ones the secrets of his Kingdom (Mt 11,25)." (1996)

"They ask us to lead them to Christ, the only One who has words of eternal life (cf Jn 6,68).  Listening to young people and teaching them, requires attention, time and wisdom.  Youth ministry is one of the Church's priorities on the threshold of the third millennium." (1996)

"With their enthusiasm and their exuberant energy, young people ask to be encouraged to become 'leading characters in evangelization and participants in the renewal of society' (Christifideles laici 46).  In this way young people, in whom the Church recognises her own youth as the Bride of Christ (cf Eph 5, 22-33), are not only evangelized, they also become evangelizers who carry the Gospel to their peers, even to those who do not know the Church and have not year heard the Good News."

August 12 - Friday

TAKEN FROM OFFICIAL WORLD YOUTH DAY 2005 WEBSITE: www.wjt2005.de

POPE BENEDICT AND THE WORLD YOUTH DAY

"I am excited about Cologne"

Already in his first speech Pope Benedict XVI confirmed the widely circulated rumour: the new leader of the Church would commit to his predecessor’s planned trip to World Youth Day.  "If it is God’s will, I will meet the Youth in Cologne at the next World Youth Day,” he told the gathered Cardinals.  

“The Church is Young”

Benedict XVI is making it known that he will not copy the exact style of his predecessor, but that he intends to do some things differently.  However, his desire to travel to Cologne underlines his fundamental appreciation for the Youth: “The Church is young”, Benedict XVI said these words during his first meeting with his fellow Countrymen.  Young people should not be thought of as being consumed by the trappings of consumerism or pleasure.  They are not materialistic, nor egotistical.  "The opposite is true:  The Youth want the Greater"- and the Good. They are against injustice, inequality, oppression; they are for freedom. "They are very open to Christ."

Thus the first Pope from Germany in 482 years maintains continuity with his predecessor.  Evidently, this is the reason why the Cardinals chose the 78 year old theologian, Joseph Ratzinger, during the conclave.  For almost a quarter of a century, he was the closest assistant of John Paul II, as prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.  As the Dean of Cardinals, Joseph Ratzinger led the Church through the papal transition, and made his predominant position among the Cardinals clear.  Finally, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger surprised many with this humility, despite his intellectual prowess, during his homily at the funeral mass of John Paul II.

August 13 - Saturday

WYD 2005 – IDEA AND VISION

How it all started

"Welcome to Köln 2005": The invitation was issued in the summer of 2002 on TV. Millions of people watched 800,000 young people celebrating together with the Pope the closing mass of the XVII World Youth Day in Toronto. Finally, in the last minutes of this moving event John Paul II invited the young people of the world to the next international meeting in Germany:

"In the impressive Cathedral of Cologne the Three Magi are worshipped, the wise men from the East, who followed the star that guided them to Christ. Your pilgrimage to Cologne starts today. Christ is waiting there for you to celebrate the XX World Youth Day."

Since then preparations for the big celebration of faith have been running at full speed – in Cologne and throughout Germany.

Who is expected?

The XX World Youth Day 2005 is a pilgrimage of faith and a colourful event in every respect. People between 16 and 30 are invited. They will pour into Germany from more than 120 countries. The Pope and about 400.000 registered participants are expected. Their number will almost double by the end of the event. They will be accompanied by approximately 600 bishops and cardinals as well as by 4,000 international journalists. For ten days the eyes of the world will be on Germany, North Rhine-Westphalia and the Cologne region.

What will happen?

The events and the guests are diverse. We will start with the Days of Encounter in the German dioceses: From August 11 until August 15 young people are guests in parishes all over Germany. Getting to know each other, exchanging ideas and thoughts, making new experiences is in the centre of attention during these days. The motto of this event is: "Guests are a blessing ". Right in the middle of this period, on August 12 2005, Germany is "under construction": On the Day of Social Service guests and their hosts will join to begin to build a new civilisation of love and justice by taking part in numerous projects.

The week in Cologne

The central events of the XX World Youth Day will begin on August 16 and will end on August 21 2005. The international guests will travel with their German hosts on Monday, August 15th into the diocese of Cologne where they will gather in either Cologne, Bonn, or Düsseldorf for the opening Mass. For three days at approximately 400 different places small groups will talk about faith and celebrate together. The Youth Festival will bring music, dance and performances from around the world to stages in Düsseldorf, Bonn and Cologne.

On Thursday the Pope will be welcomed with a big celebration in the City of Cologne. Friday is the day of the Way of the Cross, when the young pilgrims will contemplate the passion of Jesus Christ.

On Saturday all pilgrims will make their way to Marienfeld (a former open-cast mine in Frechen), the venue for the major final celebrations. During the evening hours they will join the Holy Father in celebrating a Vigil. The young pilgrims will spend the night there and on Sunday morning during the final Mass, say farewell to Cologne and the XX World Youth Day. Just a few moments before this big event ends the Pope will send the young people out into the world. He will then issue a next invitation: "You are invited to…."

August 14 - Sunday

1 MILLION EXPECTED FOR WYD 2005

Cologne,  (CWNews.com) - One month before Pope Benedict XVI  is scheduled to arrive in Cologne to join in the World Youth Day observance, organizers are expecting about 1 million young people to attend the ceremonies.

The visit to Cologne will be the Holy Father's first trip outside Italy since his election to the papacy in April. Although he will be visiting his native Germany, and will make a quick stop in Bonn to meet with President Horst Koehler, Vatican officials emphasize that the focus of the papal trip is World Youth Day rather than the German nation.

Pope Benedict will arrive in Cologne on August 18, for his first meeting with the young participants in World Youth Day. On August 19, he will lead the Stations of the Cross, and on August 20 he will join in an evening prayer vigil. On Sunday, August 21, the Pontiff will preside at the Mass closing the event. The altar where the Pope will celebrate Mass, on a field near the city, stands on top of a manmade hill. During preparatory meetings, organizers have brought earth from countries all around the world to build up the site, in one of the unique gestures of this year's World Youth Day. Another such gesture will be the giant mosaic of Pope John Paul II, fashioned from thousands of photos of the late Pontiff, taken in dozens of different countries during his travels.

It was Pope John Paul who announced, at the Toronto World Youth Day in 2002, that the next international observance would be held in Cologne. As he made that announcement, Pope John Paul recalled: "In the great cathedral of Cologne the relics of the Magi, the Wise Men from the East who followed the star which led them to Christ, are honored." During World Youth Day, those relics will be exposed behind the main altar of the cathedral.

August 15 - Monday

OUR FIRST WEEK IN GERMANY

Writing this Monday Morning, 16 August.  It's about the first time we have had a bit of time to ourselves.  At 11.00 we are setting off for the Dehonian community at Maria Martental where we will be meeting up with other groups from around the world and then heading for Bonn where we will be staying the week and travelling the 30 mile into Cologne each day.  Everyone is having a great time.  Someone who has travelled the world said: ´This is the best holiday I have ever had.´ The big thing here is that we are staying with German families and we have really become part of the local community in the small parish where we are staying.  I'm with the parish priest and the others are staying in ones and twos with families.  Not only are we being spoiled in the homes, but there is a group of 6 mothers who are taking us here there and everywhere.

When we arrived on Wednesday at Frankfurt-Hahn Fr Gerd Hemken SCJ from the Sacred Heart Fathers was there to meet us with a bus to take us the 40 miles to where we are staying. The families had come out to meet us and we had a meal in the parish hall before going to their homes.  The first morning we had a welcoming mass in one of the two Churches in the parish.  Fr Schneider had prepared everything in English and they had even composed special verses of German hymns for us to sing.  After that we headed into the hills on foot to visit the local castle about an hour away.  The weather was brilliant but I ended up carrying two of the bottles of wine in my rucksack which meant a struggle on some of the hills.  Our walk ended up at the other Church.  We had some time to meet together and get to know each other as no one knew more than half the group already.  To-morrow evening we have to give a presentation of our group when we meet up with the other countries who are staying in other local towns.  Most of these are linked to the Dehonians. We decide to sing The Wild Rover, Andy will do one of his Welsh Ballads, Liam and Jenny will give a short demonstration of Tai Kwando and between them they also came up with our own ceilidh/country dance which 8 will perform.  We call this now the 2030 dance.

Thursday evening we had a meal with our families in the local hotel who did not charge us for anything.  At the end of the meal the guitars came out and we sat around and sang and chatted for a couple of hours.  There was plenty of 'October Tea' drunk.  That's what they call wine.

On Friday morning we headed off to a local town to join up with a group of Poles.  First we had Prayers and Adoration in the Convent then games and fun workshops in the school.  It was Keir's birthday.  We'd all signed the card and one of the ladies had baked a cake.  Poor Keir was being overworked as he had spent a year in Germany and was called upon all the time to translate for us.  I decided not to join in the football as some of the guys looked quite fit, but when it came to the penalties at the end I went in goal and saved a couple.  Aidan got the winner for us.

In the evening we headed for Maria Martental.  There were over 700 at the Mass.  The Gospel choir gave it a real zip.  When I was giving out communion most of our group and the families were coming up to me.  Everyone was smiling so broadly.  Sometimes you get that when people recognise you when you are giving out communion at a big mass.  But then the other groups were coming up and smiling as much.  I thought I must have something on my face and they were all laughing at me, but I suspected that it was just that people were so happy and caught up in the mass and the music.  When I checked later I had nothing on my face.  Our presentation went very well even if we did not have the big numbers like the Croations or the oomph and guitars of the Portuguese, and it was all ably compered by Thomas who still denies that he has never worked for Irish Television.

On Saturday we went to the Cathedral City of Trier which was the headquarters of the Roman Empire in the time of Constantine.  Here we met up with other English speaking groups at the big Mass.  When the groups from Gross-Britannien were announced Helen's Project 2030 banner stood out in the middle of the nave.  We also had flags from the four countries.  As usual we were well fed.  After a tour of the city we went to a production of Rachel in a 5000 indoor seated arena.  While we were waiting Ronan started a conga of flags around the central floor.  By the end there were about 50 of them doing a charge.

Sunday we had a mass in the parish where Jenny did her spiel.  In the afternoon there was a concert in the Church courtyard.  We did our songs and dance again and got some of the Germans up to dance with us.  Later people went wine-tasting, horse-riding and most of us ended up with our families at the local bowling alley which we had to ourselves for a final fling.

August 16 - Tuesday

POSTCARD FROM GERMANY

´Weather here.  Wish you were beautiful.`  We're having a great time in Germany.  On Sunday 14 August Jenny gave the following speech of thanks at Mass in the parish where we are staying with families on the Mosel River south of Cologne.  Her words and the song she composed to the tune of The Wild Rover sums up our experience so far.  We sang the song at a party in the parish in the afternoon.. We also did the ceilidh/country dance we performed when doing a presentation to groups from other countries on Friday evening at the Sacred Heart Community nearby.  On Monday we head for Cologne

Since arriving in Germany four days ago, we have been given a “Hearty Welcome” by everyone that we have met.  “Hearty Welcome”  This is a phrase that I had never heard before.  Back home we give warm welcomes, cordial welcomes and big welcomes.  So, what I ask is a “Hearty Welcome”?  I soon came to learn.  From what I gather a “Hearty Welcome” is:

1. A total feeling of acceptance into the community.  In the community of Mueden and Moseltal this involved drinking copious amounts of wine.  Now, I enjoy a glass or two of wine, however I have never experienced having wine instead of water on a break half way up a mountain, a family giving one of the best wines in Germany to us to enjoy during a theatre visit or icing on a birthday cake made with more wine than sugar. I was beginning to enjoy this “Hearty Welcome”.
2. Community giving.  When I heard that this small community had paid for our train tickets, castle tickets and restaurant meals through fund raising for the last year I was blown away.  This town gave unconditionally with no expectations of anything except our company in return.  On behalf of the group I would like to say a massive thank you.  Words can not sum up our gratitude.
3. Finally, you have been our biggest fans.  When we had to entertain over 700 people at Maria Martental we greatly appreciated your support, clapping and comradeship whilst we attempted to sing and dance to the crowds.

Many people here whilst supporting us do not know what we got up to, so to the tune of an Old Irish folk song, the Wild Rover, I will now explain: 

Wild Rover

We flew in by Ryan  Air

And who did we meet?

This tall handsome man

A German priest

He took us to Mueden

We arrived with a bang

At a kindergarten school

The party began

Chorus

And its no nay never

No nay never no more

Will we forget our friends

No never no more

Day two took us walking

To a castle up high

But before we could reach it

We stopped for some wine.

We started to sing

The wine put us at ease

And a welsh voice

Was a beautiful feast

chorus

Day three involved sports

that tested our brain,

Jenny’s unicycle legs

are still in pain.

Fr Hugh the goal keeper,

he saved the day,

Whilst an excellent lunch

sent us on our way

Chorus

Day four took us to Trier

A city with vibe.

The International mass

Made us all feel alive

Massage and food

set us up for the day

Which ended with a performance

Of Rachel the play.

Chorus

From all of us here

We just want to say,

We’d love you to come

To our countries some day.

So we can return

What came from yourselves

Maybe for the Olympics

In 2012

I do have three groups of people that I would like to thank:

1. Maggie and her team for spending the last year planning and replanning out itinerary, host families and making sure all our needs were catered for.
2. All the host families – Not only did you give us meals, accommodations and lifts, you really made us feel like part of your family.  Many many thanks.
3. Finally to Fr Schneider and the parishes of Mueden and Moseltall – for all your support, fundraising and welcome

Thank you all once again and we will be keeping you in our prayers as we continue our journey into Cologne.

August 17 - Wednesday

FROM THE TAIZE COMMUNITY WEBSITE

“Costly in the eyes of the Lord is the death of his friends”

On Tuesday 16th August, after the death of Brother Roger, a prayer was celebrated at midnight in the Church of Reconciliation, a prayer of songs, Bible readings and silence. During this prayer, Brother François, one of the eldest of the brothers of the community, spoke briefly.

In the Bible, we find these words: “Costly in the eyes of the Lord is the death of his friends.”

This death of Brother Roger is costly first of all for all of us, and terribly so. Death is like something being torn away, and a violent death even more so. And even when this death is caused by an unbalanced person, there is a feeling of unfairness, that can even lead to a sense of hopelessness.

In the face of violence, we can respond only by peace. Brother Roger never stopped insisting on this. Peace requires a commitment of our whole being, inwardly and outwardly. It demands our whole person. So this evening, let us communicate peace to one another, and do everything we can so that each person stays in hope.

These words from the Bible say that this death is costly not only to us. It is costly to God. God himself participates in our sorrow. He is suffering with us. This is how God feels “the death of his friends”, as the text says.

And Brother Roger was certainly a friend of God. From the beginning, he used all his strength so that we should understand that God loves us with a love that has no end, a love that excludes no-one, a love that accepts us as we are, a love that has no limits.

And if it is true that this death means a sorrow that touches God himself, we would like to do everything to express to him our gratitude, our thankfulness for all that Brother Roger has been among us.

August 18 - Thursday

HUGE MOSAIC OF JOHN PAUL II PREPARED FOR WYD 2005

COLOGNE, Germany, July 5 (CNA) - Organizers of the World Youth Day have prepared a gigantic mosaic containing a depiction of John Paul II. The portrait is made up of thousands of small pictures of the Pope sent in by young people from all over the world. The initiative will allow many people "to be" in Cologne even though they cannot make the trip.

The mosaic has been put on display at the Cathedral of Cologne during World Youth Day, and every person who sends in a picture has been sent a link to their individual photo and is able to see the mosaic online.  The mosaic can be viewed  by everyone on www.thank-you-jpii.net

According to the project's promoters, Ingo Brüggenjürgen, Lutz Langel and Ralf Walter, "with this action we want to show that love is stronger that death and that the message of John Paul II continues to live in thousands of people." Their goal is to make the world's largest mosaic.

August 19 - Friday  

POPE BENEDICT ADDRESSES THE WORLD YOUTH DAY GATHERING

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I am pleased to be with you this evening in Cologne, a city that I love for the many memories which it evokes for me.  For a number of years I lived in the neighbouring city of Bonn as a professor, and from there I would often come to Cologne where I had many friends.  It was, I am convinced, by a special design of Providence that I soon became a friend of the then Archbishop, Cardinal Joseph Frings, who gave me his full confidence and called me to be his theologian for the Second Vatican Council, which meant that I was able to play an active  part in that historic event.  I also came to know his successor, Cardinal Joseph Höffner, with whom I was associated for many years, first as a fraternal colleague in the German Bishops’ Conference and later through working together for various offices of the Roman Curia.  Your present Archbishop, Cardinal Joachim Meisner, is a good friend of mine, and I thank him for his warm words of  welcome and for his hard work over the past months in preparing for World Youth Day.  I also wish to express my heartfelt gratitude to Cardinal Karl Lehmann, the President of the German Bishops’ Conference, for all his dedication, and through him I thank the Bishops and all those involved in marshalling the different sectors of the Church in this country for today’s great ecclesial event.  I  am grateful to all those who for many months have been preparing for this important moment, so eagerly awaited: in particular, the Planning Committee in Cologne, but also the Dioceses and local communities which have welcomed the young people in recent days.  I can well imagine what all of this entails in terms of energy spent and sacrifices accepted, and I pray that it will bear abundant fruit in the spiritual success of this World Youth Day.  Finally I cannot fail to express my profound gratitude to the civil and military authorities, the leaders of the city and region, and the police and security forces of Germany and North Rhine-Westphalia.  In the person of the Mayor I thank the people of Cologne for their understanding in the face of this “invasion” by so many young people from all over the world.

The city of Cologne would not be what it is without the Magi, who have had so great an impact on its history, its culture and its faith.  Here, in some sense, the Church celebrates the Feast of the Epiphany every day of the year!  And so, before addressing you in the presence of this magnificent Cathedral, I paused for a moment of prayer before the reliquary of the three Magi and gave thanks to God for their witness of faith, hope and love.  The relics of the Magi were brought from Milan in 1164 by the Archbishop of Cologne, Reinald von Dassel; after crossing the Alps, they were received in Cologne with great jubilation.  On their pilgrimage across Europe the relics of the Magi left traces behind them which are still evident today, both in place names and in popular devotions.  In honour of the Magi the inhabitants of Cologne produced the most exquisite reliquary of the whole Christian world and, as if that were not sufficient, they raised above it an even greater reliquary, this stupendous Gothic Cathedral which, after the ravages of war, once more stands before visitors in all the splendour of its beauty.  Along with Jerusalem the “Holy City”, Rome the “Eternal City” and Santiago de Compostela in Spain, Cologne, thanks to the Magi, has become down the centuries one of the most important places of pilgrimage in the Christian West.

 Yet Cologne is not just the city of the Magi.  It has been deeply marked by the presence of many saints; these holy men and women, through the witness of their lives and the imprint they left on the history of the German people, have helped Europe to grow from Christian roots.  I think above all of the martyrs of the first centuries, like young Saint Ursula and her companions, who, according to tradition, were martyred under Diocletian.  How can one fail to remember Saint Boniface, the Apostle of Germany, whose election as Bishop of Cologne in 745 was confirmed by Pope Zachary?  The name of Saint Albert the Great is also linked to this city; his body rests nearby in the crypt of the Church of Saint Andrew.  In Cologne Saint Thomas Aquinas was a disciple of Saint Albert and later a professor.  Nor can we forget Blessed Adolph Kolping, who died in Cologne in 1865; from a shoemaker he became a priest and founded many social initiatives, especially in the area of professional training.  Closer to our own times, our thoughts turn to Edith Stein, the eminent twentieth-century Jewish philosopher who entered the Carmelite Convent in Cologne taking the name of Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, and later died in the concentration camp at Auschwitz.  Pope John Paul II canonized her and declared her a co-patroness of Europe, together with Saint Bridget of Sweden and Saint Catherine of Siena.

In these and all the other saints, both known and unknown, we discover the deepest and truest face of this city and we become aware of the legacy of values handed down to us by the generations of Christians who have gone before us.  It is a very rich legacy.  We need to be worthy of it.  It is a responsibility of which the very stones of the city’s ancient buildings remind us.  Indeed it is these spiritual values that make possible mutual comprehension between individuals and peoples, between different cultures and civilizations.  In this context, I offer a warm greeting to the representatives of the different Christian denominations and those from other religions.  I thank all of you for your presence in Cologne at this great gathering, in the hope that it will mark a step forward on the path towards reconciliation and unity.  For Cologne does not speak to us of Europe alone; it opens us to the universality of the Church and of the world.  Here, one of the three Magi was seen as a Moorish King, and, as such, the representative of the continent of Africa.  Here, according to tradition, Saint Gereon and his companions of the Theban Legion died as martyrs.  Irrespective of the strictly historical reliability of these traditions, the centuries-old devotion towards those saints testifies to the universal outlook and openness of the faithful of Cologne and, in a wider sense, of the Church which emerged in Germany through Saint Boniface’s apostolic activity.  This openness has been confirmed in recent years by great charitable initiatives such as Misereor, Adveniat, Missio and Renovabis.  Themselves originating in Cologne, these societies have brought the love of Christ to all continents.

Now you yourselves are here, dear young people from throughout the world.  You represent those distant peoples who came to know Christ through the Magi and who were brought together as the new People of God, the Church, which gathers men and women from every culture.  Today it is your task to live and breathe the Church’s universality.  Let yourselves be inflamed by the fire of the Spirit, so that a new Pentecost will renew your hearts.  Through you, may other young people everywhere come to recognize in Christ the true answer to their deepest aspirations, and may they open their hearts to receive the Word of God Incarnate, who died and rose from the dead for the salvation of the world.

August 20 - Saturday

SEE THE WYD CEREMONIES ON WEBCAM

To do this go to the World Youth Day official site at www.wjt2005.de  then click on the webcam link.

The vigil and the closing ceremony of the XX WYD 2005 will be celebrated at Marienfeld on the 20th and 21st of August. The sight of a former open cast mine, it lies around 17 kilometres away from Cologne in the Rhein-Erft district. The Marienfeld is over 300 hectares large and will accommodate the 800 000 expected visitors from near and far.

The installation of cameras has provided an opportunity to follow the event preparations. At present cameras 1 and 2 are capturing images every 30 seconds. Camera 3 captures one image a day.

Camera 1 shows the altar hill which the stage will later be built on. The hill, often called the “Pope’s hill” was named “hill of the nations” by Cardinal Meisner when it was opened. At the beginning of 2005 delegates of the church from 70 different countries brought earth from their home lands to Marienfeld as a symbol of the international community of all who will attend World Youth Day.

Camera 2 shows the event site. Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims and day visitors will meet here on the 20th and 21st of August to celebrate together with Pope Benedict XVI.

Camera 3 is focused on the logo flower bed. As a gift to all those who come to World Youth Day the Rhein-Erft district planted flowers that will bloom in August and clearly depict the World Youth Day logo. The logo flower bed can already be recognised from the air and is a clear message that this is Marienfeld where World Youth Day in Germany will come to an end.

Saturday 20 August  

Access granted for Vigil at Marienfeld - 11.00 am

Sacrament of Reconciliation - from 12 noon

Introductory programme with music and prayers and Sacrament of Reconciliation - in the afternoon

Vigil with the Pope at Marienfeld followed by silence and  Adoration - Sacrament of Reconciliation - 8.30 - 11.30pm 

Sunday 21 August

Lauds - 7 am

Concluding Mass with the Pope at the Marienfeld - 10 am to @ 12.30

Musical closure of WYD - until 6 pm

August 21 - Sunday

EXTRACT FROM  THE POPE’S SERMON AT TODAY’S WYD MASS

“Anyone who has discovered Christ must lead others to him.  A great joy cannot be kept to oneself.  It has to be passed on.  In vast areas of the world today there is a strange forgetfulness of God.  It seems as if everything would be just the same even without him.  But at the same time there is a feeling of frustration, a sense of dissatisfaction with everyone and everything.  People tend to exclaim:  “This cannot be what life is about!”  Indeed not.  And so, together with forgetfulness of God there is a kind of new explosion of religion.  I have no wish to discredit all the manifestations of this phenomenon.  There may be sincere joy in the discovery.  Yet if it is pushed too far, religion becomes almost a consumer product.  People choose what they like, and some are even able to make a profit from it.  But religion constructed on a “do-it-yourself” basis cannot ultimately help us.  It may be comfortable, but at times of crisis we are left to ourselves.  Help people to discover the true star which points out the way to us:  Jesus Christ!  Let us seek to know him better and better, so as to be able to guide others to him with conviction.  This is why love for Sacred Scripture is so important, and in consequence, it is important to know the faith of the Church which opens up for us the meaning of Scripture.  It is the Holy Spirit who guides the Church as her faith grows, causing her to enter ever more deeply into the truth (cf. Jn 16:13).  Pope John Paul II gave us a wonderful work in which the faith of centuries is explained synthetically:  the Catechism of the Catholic Church.  I myself recently presented the Compendium of the Catechism, prepared at the request of the late Holy Father.  These are two fundamental texts which I recommend to all of you.

 Obviously books alone are not enough.  Form communities based on faith!  In recent decades movements and communities have come to birth in which the power of the Gospel is keenly felt.  Seek communion in faith, like fellow travellers who continue together to follow the path of the great pilgrimage that the Magi from the East first pointed out to us.  The spontaneity of new communities is important, but it is also important to preserve communion with the Pope and with the Bishops.  It is they who guarantee that we are not seeking private paths, but are living as God’s great family, founded by the Lord through the twelve Apostles.

 Once again, I must return to the Eucharist.  “Because there is one bread, we, though many, are one body” says Saint Paul (1 Cor 10:17).  By this he meant:  since we receive the same Lord and he gathers us together and draws us into himself, we ourselves are one.  This must be evident in our lives.  It must be seen in our capacity to forgive.  It must be seen in our sensitivity to the needs of others.  It must be seen in our willingness to share.  It must be seen in our commitment to our neighbours, both those close at hand and those physically far away, whom we nevertheless consider to be close.  Today there are many forms of voluntary assistance, models of mutual service, of which our society has urgent need.  We must not, for example, abandon the elderly to their solitude, we must not pass by when we meet people who are suffering.  If we think and live according to our communion with Christ, then our eyes will be opened.  Then we will no longer be content to scrape a living just for ourselves, but we will see where and how we are needed.  Living and acting thus, we will soon realize that it is much better to be useful and at the disposal of others than to be concerned only with the comforts that are offered to us.  I know that you as young people have great aspirations, that you want to pledge yourselves to build a better world.  Let others see this, let the world see it, since this is exactly the witness that the world expects from the disciples of Jesus Christ; in this way, and through your love above all, the world will be able to discover the star that we follow as believers.

Let us go forward with Christ and let us live our lives as true worshippers of God!  Amen”.

August 22 - Monday

TAKEN FROM YESTERDAY’S COPY OF THE IRISH TIMES

Addressing an estimated one million people, Pope Benedict XVI yesterday wound up the World Youth Day festival in Cologne with a call for young Catholics to make Jesus Christ the "true star" of their lives, warning against the dangers of "do-it-yourself" religions.

On a grey, overcast but dry morning, Pope Benedict delivered his key-note address to an enthusiastic congregation, gathered at the Marienfeld, a former open-pit mine, 20 kilometres outside Cologne.

Given that the majority of the Pope's young audience had spent the night at the site, having attended a Saturday night vigil, the Marienfeld yesterday looked like the largest multi-coloured, multi-racial campsite in the world.

Speaking by turns in German, English, French, Italian and Spanish, the Pope argued against treating religion as a mere consumer product, saying: "In vast areas of the world today, there is a forgetfulness of God, a sense of dissatisfaction and frustration with everyone and everything.

"Together with the forgetfulness of God, there is a kind of explosion of religion. Yet, if it is pushed too far, religion becomes almost a consumer product.

"People choose what they like and some are even able to make a profit from it. But religion constructed on a 'do-it-yourself' basis cannot ultimately help us.

"It may be comfortable but at times of crisis, we are left to ourselves. Help people to discover the true star which points out the way to us: Jesus Christ."

The theme of the inaptly-named World Youth Day festival (it actually lasts almost a week) has been, "We Have Come To Worship Him", in reference to the Three Wise Men whose alleged relics are housed in Cologne's magnificent Gothic cathedral.

Throughout the two-hour service, the Pope's homily was repeatedly greeted with rhythmic, football-crowd style chants of "Ben-e-detto" (Benedict in Italian).

The young faithful - some standing, some sitting and some even stretched out on their sleeping bags - waved flags and applauded as the Pope wound up the service with greetings in nine different languages, including Tagalog and Swahili. In those final remarks, too, the Pope said that the next World Youth Day would take place in Sydney, Australia in 2008.

Speaking at Cologne airport prior to his return to Rome last night, he said: "We are all well aware of the evil that emerged from our homeland during the 20th century and we acknowledge it with shame and suffering. During these days here, thanks be to God, it has become quite evident that there was and is another Germany, a land of singular human, cultural and spiritual resources."

August 23 - Tuesday

CAN THE POETIC DO JUSTICE?

Arrived back from Germany yesterday.  In the car on the way north from Stansted we get talking about writing poems about our experience at the World Youth Day.  I started writing the following poem.  There is so much that could be said about our experience.  Others have promised to send in their thoughts and reports, so I'll leave it to them meanwhile to give the details.

Auf wiedersehen we had to say

and each one go their parting way

when back from Germany we flew

the project 20 papal crew.

We'd been abroad to see the Pope

and now return with more than hope

that love is strong and faith is clear,

the future Church has naught to fear.

From countries eight did eighteen gel,

in thirteen days, too much to tell.

A million gathered in Cologne

to see St Peter on his throne.

We met the world and sang our songs

we now know where our heart belongs.

On pilgrimage we came to seek,

the gates of heaven gave a peek.

Our souls were stirred, our eyes had tears,

we built up strength for future years.

The project banner and five flags

announced a group that seldom sags.

Next stop Sydney twenty eight (2008),

three more years we have to wait.

Meanwhile pray for the one they picked,

our Pope and leader Benedict.  

August 24 - Wednesday

WE ALMOST STAYED IN GERMANY

The bus that took us to Frankfurt-Hahn on Monday picked us up late and we made it to the airport with 4 minutes to spare.  When we drove into departures Jenny and I made a dash for the check-in.  Most of us were on a group ticket, but they would not process us until all the group appeared.  We dashed out to the main door in the small airport, but we couldn't see anybody.  When we came back to the check out again in despair we saw that everyone was already there.  They had come in a side door and all was saved by a matter of seconds.

On the bus journey we passed round a few sheets for people to write comments on topics like "How the World Youth Day touched you" and "Thoughts to be sent to the Pope".  This is what was written on "Why people should go to Sydney in 2008" for the next WYD.

"It's in Australia! WYD is an experience to behold.  No matter where you are in your spiritual journey WYD will confirm the fact that Christ is alive in this world.  Through the people you meet and the witness of faith around you.  AND it's in Australia!!!" (written by Elsie who is Australian - Hugh)

"To be with one million young Catholics from all over the world gathered for one reason - Christ."

"They speak English!"

"World Youth Day is an experience you'll never forget, one million in a field trying not to get wet, sharing the gospels and love with the people around, Germans, Italians sleeping on the ground.  So if you don't mind 24 hours getting dirty, come to Sydney with group 2030.  The experience will change you and deepen your faith, especially by sharing and the friends you will make."

"No matter if your faith is strong or weak, you will meet people with the same ideas and experiences as yourself and they will help to support you.  Christ's love will be with you and in you.  Go and find out what it's like for yourself." 

August 25 - Thursday

TOUCHED BY THE WYD

Most days in Germany we had mass, but it wasn't till the last day, Monday, that we had a mass on our own.  At the beginning of mass people could share any asking for forgiveness.  After the gospel we heard some of the insights people had from our pilgrimage, and after communion the thanksgivings were many.  Below is what a few people wrote on the bus on "How the WYD touched you".

"Proof that Jesus means so much to Germany - that they would go through that much to bear witness."

"Illustration of the Catholic Church as catholic - universal - and for all."

"To see so many young people gathered in unity.  Being able to meet new people and to discuss issues in a relaxed atmosphere."

"I was reminded again to see beyond my limits and supported by so many faces of God's help.  Though I felt very old, I was glad to meet such interesting young people."

"I have learned a lot of patience.  We walked for hours to the field where we had the vigil and mass with the Pope, and the road never seemed to come to an end.  We all arrived at different times as well.  This tells me that whatever we want in life, no matter how hard it is to find, with time we will find it."

"I have never experienced so much love and witness.  All people from 2030, host families, other countries and locals lived the Gospel message 'Love your neighbour as you love yourself''.  I only hope I can emulate this love on my return."

August 26 - Friday

NEWS FROM THE PAST FORTNIGHT

Dear All,

On behalf of my family and myself may I thank you for all the many prayers which were said for my mother over the past two months while she was so sick. I now dedicate this prayer to the memory of Noeleen "Nuala" McGregor who left this earth August 16th 2005.  Mom you have left a big hole in my heart, I am numb inside and cannot understand why this has happened but God took you for a reason and has another purpose for you in heaven, I love you so much and wish you didn't have to suffer the pain you experienced. You are at peace now but you leave your family and friends on this earth so very broken hearted. Until me meet again God Bless You and Rest in Eternal Peace in Heaven.

Love Always.

An Irish Funeral Prayer

Death is nothing at all.
It does not count.
I have only slipped away into the next room.
Everything remains as it was.
The old life that we lived so fondly together is untouched, unchanged.
Whatever we were to each other,  that we are still.
Call me by the old familiar name.
Speak of me in the easy way which you always used.
Put no sorrow in your tone.
Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes that we enjoyed together.
Play, smile, think of me, pray for me.
Let my name be ever the household word that it always was.
Let it be spoken without effort
Life means all that it ever meant. It is the same as it ever was.
There is unbroken continuity.
Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight?
I am but waiting for you, for an interval, somewhere very near, just around the corner.
All is well. Nothing is hurt; nothing is lost.
One brief moment and all will be as it was before.
How we shall laugh at the trouble of parting, when we meet again.

August 27 - Saturday

EDINBURGH FESTIVAL

In Scotland for the Edinburgh Festival Weekend.  First thing this morning sent a text to a couple of people: "Wot train u gettiog 2 ed?"   The text reply was: "Meeting at 10.00 for 10.30 at Queen St Station", all with good spelling.  Most arrived yesterday for the weekend and were meeting up last night in Glasgow.  We thought it would be easier to stay on the west coast and travel over to the capital.  It is very difficult to get accommodation during the festival.  And staying in Glasgow would give us more incentive to go to a ceilidh.

I didn't meet up last night as I was having a meal with my niece and her husband of two weeks.  Their wedding clashed with the World Youth Days in Germany, so they asked me if I would come as soon as possible afterwards to bless their rings.  I'd sent them a token from a jewellers for their engagement last year and they decided to put that towards their wedding rings.  Karen pulled out all the stops for the meal.  It's ages since I last ate so much at night and still slept.  I even beat Grant at pool twice, though not being a Catholic I'm not sure if he thought he was allowed to beat a priest.

Staying the weekend with my sister who lives not far away in Port Glasgow where I grew up.  She gave me a lift to the local station on her way to Mass this morning.  When we arrived in Edinburgh people had different plans.  There is such a choice of things to do with 6 festivals on at the same time: Arts, Film, books, Jazz, the Tattoo and the Fringe, which has 1,800 music, drama, comedy and dance events going on at 330 different venues over three weeks.  There is also a succession of entertainers in the streets and squares.

A small group of first time visitors to "Auld Reekie" as the city is known came with me for a tour of the sights.  We headed for the Castle, via the Sir Walter Scott memorial and the Church of Scotland Assembly buildings where JPII had met the presbyterian hierarchy in the courtyard as a compromise with those who didn't think that the Pope should be received inside their headquarters.  The castle esplanade was set up for the Tattoo.  We got inside for free again by asking for tickets for the National War Museum which gives you access to everywhere except the castle museum, various rooms and the Scottish Crown Jewels.  The ladies in the group were looking for suitable kilted Scotsmen to get a photograph.  I introduced them to officers of the Scots guards, but they went all shy.  There's a phenomenon that I've noticed in the past decade (and within the group when there are not many men about).  Previously men would be quite open in talking about women they saw passing by or famous actresses, etc.  Now you hardly hear that and never within the group.  Maybe it's feminism that has put men in their place.  Whereas some women are much more open now and will readily express their admiration for the likes of Brad Pitt, or express their anticipation at the prospect of men turning up at the ceilidh dance in kilts.  This happens also within the group, especially when there are few men around.  It seems quite natural, yet I would be uncomfortable if men acted the same, and I don't think the ladies would like it.  Times change.

From the Castle we walked down the Royal Mile towards St Giles Cathedral and the Fringe Office.  Some of the women got tickets for speciality dancing shows tomorrow.  Most wanted to get back to base in Glasgow early so they could turn around before the ceilidh.  As usual it went with a swing.  I added to my repertoire of excuses not to dance when a text came through saying: "Hi, Hugh, can u act as a text liturgy guide?  OK, why do we say "I am not worthy to receive u" in the Eucharistic prayer (sic) (sic means so, so he wrote even if it's wrong)?  If U R in a state of grace surely U R?"  Keeping confidence who had texted I asked for advice what to reply and texted: "Who's just been to confession?  At a ceilidh in glasgow after day in edinbro.  This is a quote from the centurion to jc: 'but only say the word and my servant shall be healed.'  We dont feel worthy of gods love but he calls us to him.  We are worthy, but we still like to show reluctance.  God has made us worthy thro jesus.  Always go to communion unless there is a big whopper.  This has given me another good excuse not to dance.  Your worth it.  Running out of charact".

The sender of the text is quite a robust character.  During the dances it was impossible to talk.  Don't normally text as long but once got going decided to go for the record and use all 500 possible spaces. 

August 28 - Sunday

THOUGHTS TO THE  POPE

In Cologne there were various messages that people were sending to the Pope on posters and banners, etc.  One of the best was on a T shirt: "I love my German Shepherd", making reference to another dog name Benedict XVI had been called.  On the bus to the airport the last day people wrote the following thoughts to the Pope.  We'll send them to him.  You can add to them if you want.

August 29 - Monday

SEPTEMBER - DECEMBER 2005 JOINT MAIN EVENTS 

2 – 4  SEPTEMBER – ADVENTURE WEEKEND PART II:  In North Wales.