Welcome from the CEO
'Be hospitable to one another…' (1 Peter 4:9) Soon, tens of thousands of young people from Australia, together with tens of thousands of young pilgrims from all over the world, will gather with the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI to celebrate World Youth Day 2008 in Sydney! Seen by the whole world, they will live the promise made to them and to all of us: "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you!" (Acts 1:8) The people of God in the Archdiocese of Melbourne look forward joyfully to these festival days ahead! Our Melbourne parishes and school communities have now been informed of the overseas pilgrim groups that will be staying with them during Days in the Dioceses. We assure you of our hospitality. Giving and receiving is an essential part of our Christian vocation – it is itself one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit! Thank you for accepting the invitation to the household of God in the Archdiocese of Melbourne. See you soon! Br Mark O’Connor Parish Story THE WORLD YOUTH DAY CROSS AND ICON TOUCHES THE HEARTS OF MELBOURNIANS... There were many and varied experiences of celebrations around the World Youth Day Cross and Icon on its pilgrimage throughout the Archdiocese. Following is Fr Michael Shadbolt from Holy Family Parish in Doveton, sharing his reflections on the presence of these wonderful symbols in the Dandenong Cluster of Parishes. We thank Fr Michael Shadbolt for his reflections! Last Monday was a day to remember. The Cross and Icon arrived at Dandenong Station in the late afternoon and were carried in procession through the streets to the Town Hall and then to St Mary’s Church. I confess I went along more out of a sense of duty…But thank God for that sense of duty! I was absolutely overwhelmed by the occasion and the wonderful manifestation of faith that the visiting Cross and Icon evoked on our streets of Dandenong. I really didn’t think the occasion would have such a powerful effect on me. As an old priest, I tend to think I’ve seen it all and am far too crusty to be deeply moved by evidence of religious enthusiasm. How wrong I was! Not even the early darkness of a late autumn afternoon, the flashing lights of the police cars as they tried to hurry us along, the coolness of the evening air, the snarling traffic all banked up as we crossed Dandenong Road, or the uneven cobblestones of the Plaza could detract from an experience that was both highly emotional and deeply spiritual. It was good to be there. It was fun, it was prayerful, it was community amid remarkable ethnic diversity. I loved the Vietnamese band leading the way, dressed in red robes, conical hats on their heads and all thumping kettle drums. Best of all were the Sudanese girls dressed in bright yellow dresses who preceded the Cross into St Mary’s. With their graceful movements they seemed to be tossing flowers into the air. It was Catholic in every sense of the word. I sincerely believe it was an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The crowd was very large, an exuberant throng. It was at its thickest around the Cross as people, many with tears streaming down their faces pressed forward to touch the Cross and Icon. It was such a happy crowd. I seemed to know everyone – although, of course, I didn’t. There was just a beautiful sense of family. We were all God’s children – surprised by joy. Great things will come, I believe, from the outpouring of the Spirit associated with World Youth Day and its travelling Cross and Icon. This is the message of Pentecost as valid for us today and two thousand years ago – expect great things, unexpected things, and joyful things from the outpouring of the Spirit. When the Spirit moves moulds are broken, fears overcome and new life pours forth. Let us move with the Spirit at this time of the new Pentecost. Watch some of the highlights from the Cross and Icon’s journey through Melbourne at the JCI Blog! |
International Update Can you believe that there are less than 50 days left before Days in the Dioceses Melbourne? Thousands of pilgrims around the world are preparing for the spiritual journey of a lifetime and one of them – Anh Tran from the USA – took a moment to share her excitement with us. Name: Anh Tran What are you looking forward to doing or seeing during Days in the Dioceses Melbourne and World Youth Day Sydney? |
Upcoming Events 2ND WYD08 AMBASSADOR GATHERING THIS FRIDAY 23 MAY!
So you think you can join us? RSVP to info@did08.com or call 9412 8400 today! Don't forget to check out our Youtube invitation and download a copy of the 2nd Ambassador Gathering invite!
THANK GOD IT’S FRIDAY! DAYS IN THE DIOCESES MELBOURNE BREAKFAST SERIES AND 6PM MASS ON FRIDAY 30 MAY
REX BAND IN MELBOURNE! REX BAND is composed of up to fifteen talented musicians from varied backgrounds –each artist contributing to the highly unique sound of classical Indian, western classical rock, pop, and R&B. Over the past ten years, the band has managed to produce a distinctive musical style that has opened up exciting ethnic influences in contemporary Christian music. See Rex Band perform live before Days in the Dioceses Melbourne starts on Saturday 5 July at 7:00pm at the Dallas Brooks Centre (300 Albert Street, East Melbourne). Visit www.australia.jesusyouth.org to book tickets and avail of great group packages!
GET YOUR TICKETS TO THE DAYS IN THE DIOCESES MELBOURNE COMMISSIONING MASS AT THE TELSTRA DOME! The Days in the Dioceses Commissioning Mass will be held at Telstra Dome on Friday 11 July with 50,000 other young enthusiastic pilgrims in preparation for the journey to WYD08. All registered WYD08 pilgrims should reserve their place with their Group Leader. If you are not registered for WYD08, tickets will be released to schools and parishes from 2 June. For any further enquiries, please email ticketing@did08.com or call +61 3 9412 8400. |
In The News MELBOURNE FAMILIES MEET THEIR MATCH! Excitement is building around the Archdiocese as Melbourne parishes and schools have been assigned with a pilgrim group for their stay during Days in the Dioceses. Kevin Parker, Senior Web Analyst for the Catholic Church Insurances Melbourne office shares his family’s excitement about hosting pilgrims in their home for the Melbourne Stay program. Kevin, his wife Norma, and two (now adult) children, first got the ‘bug’ for taking in exchange students some 10 years ago when home hosting was suggested to Kevin by a work colleague. Thirty-three (33) exchange students later and a wonderful collection of rich experiences from an extended family that spans every continent on the globe, Kevin now looks forward to the hosting opportunity for the Days in the Dioceses Melbourne Stay program. Driven by a love for life, people, and experiencing new cultures, Kevin says that his family’s previous experience of taking in young students has had its influences on his family – the food they eat, the places they like to go, the movies they watch and the music they like to listen to. In 2005, Kevin and his wife had the opportunity to visit 11 countries over 11 weeks, catching up and enjoying the unrivalled hospitality of 17 of their former exchange students from over the years. Kevin describes it as a trip you can’t buy – having sampled the wonderful hospitality, cooking and customs of families around the world. While Kevin and his family are truly excited by the opportunity that World Youth Day 2008 and Days in the Dioceses Melbourne Stay program presents, he shares that it is always best to be well prepared. He suggests to learn a little of your guests’ culture and food preferences, what they enjoy doing, and their hopes for the pilgrimage to World Youth Day 2008. It is important to fully integrate the young pilgrims in the local culture and customs, making them part of your family and exposing them to new exciting experiences during their stay. Kevin shared that he once took some of his Japanese guests out for some sheep shearing – a true Australian experience they will certainly not forget anytime soon! Kevin emphasised that he cannot commend involvement in the Melbourne Stay program enough. “Home hosting brings richness to your life that you can’t buy – we have certainly made some wonderful friends for life.” he says. There’s bound to be plenty of long-lasting friendships forged this July as Melbournians welcome thousands of young pilgrims. For more information on the Melbourne Stay program, please visit www.did08.com or see the Melbourne Stay coordinator at your local parish.
OFFICIAL DID08 MERCHANDISE NOW AVAILABLE! We are very pleased to announce the opening of our DID08 Online Shop, featuring all of DID08's official merchandise. Step inside and check out the full range of great clothing and souvenir items such as jackets, caps, scarves, and plenty more goodies perfect for the July winter! |
Pilgrim Services - What's New? WORLD YOUTH DAY 2008 AND DID08 EVENTS SCHEDULE As the big events draw closer, be sure to grab a copy of the most up-to-date events schedules for the 5 days of DID08 and the week of WYD08. Visit www.did08.com and www.wyd2008.org to check out the latest list of activities.
BRINGING OCEANIA TO WORLD YOUTH DAY 2008 World Youth Day 2008 is an opportunity of a lifetime for all youth around the world. Thousands of pilgrims across Oceania including youth from East Timor, Fiji and Papua New Guinea are extremely excited about WYD08 and are working hard to raise the money to attend. Just some of the fundraising efforts include digging for gold, collecting rubbish and selling bananas! A few boys have even been selling coconuts on the streets for the last 2 years to raise money for their airfare to Sydney, Australia. In the Solomon Islands, enthusiastic youth walk for up to 2 days across mountains just to attend a Mass held for WYD08! The vitality and vibrancy of these young people gathering together connects them with the Catholic Church through the World Youth Day spirit. This spirit is most definitely alive all over Oceania but sadly, without the assistance of Australians, many of our brothers and sisters from neighboring countries will not be able to make it to WYD08. Time is quickly running out for us to support these underprivileged pilgrims to join us in Sydney this July. The average cost for a pilgrim to attend WYD08 from Oceania is $2,000. Every dollar that you can contribute towards this cost will make a difference! If you would like to make a donation, please email pilgrimpartners@wyd2008.org or call +61 2 9390 5448. |
Training Corner All key contacts and coordinators are invited to the FINAL round of Pilgrim TEAM Training to receive the most up to date information and resources to help parishes and communities prepare for DID08 and WYD08. The format of these last sessions will provide a separate training for each of the appointed WYD08 Coordinators from your community. This ensures that everyone receives the most relevant information specific to their allocated task. As WYD08 and DID08 draw closer, many of our local contacts are beginning to realise the need for preparations at local parish school communities. If you are a WYD08 Key contact or coordinator it is important to use your contacts and networks to initiate support of WYD08 and DID08 activities in your local community. You cannot do this task alone – ensure that you seek support from others in your community to help you and encourage them to come along to this last Pilgrim TEAM training. Training sessions will take place on the date indicated in the table below: PARISH / COMMUNITY / MOVEMENTS SESSIONS Saturday 31 May 2008 Tuesday 3 June 2008 Thursday 5 June 2008 Saturday 7 June 2008 SCHOOL SESSION Thursday 5 June 2008 Each training session will have a strictly limited number of participants so please RSVP as early as possible with your preferred session to info@did08.com or call 9412 8400. We look forward to seeing you at the Pilgrim TEAM Training sessions and helping your community’s preparations for DID08 and WYD08! |
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