World Youth Day 2008
Theme: "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has
come upon you; and you will be my witnesses." (Acts 1:8)
WYD 2008 will be held July 15-20.
New: Chaldean Catholic Community
We have been informed by Bishop Anthony Fisher, coordinator World Youth Day 2008, that the organizers of WYD 2008 have established a fund to enable a group of Chaldean Catholics from Iraq to attend WYD 2008 in Sydney this summer.
These Chaldean Catholics, including bishops, priests, seminarians and young people, have not only recorded the WYD 2008 song in Arabic and Syriac, but, in the spirit of WYD 2008, have also conducted missions with families who have been forced to leave their homes in Baghdad and Mosul.
WYD 2008 in Sydney has requested assistance in defraying its travel expenses for these Chaldean Catholic pilgrims. The average cost of travel to Sydney is $1,800 to $1,900 (U.S. currency) for each pilgrim. If you are interested in helping WYD 2008 in this effort by donating to its Chaldean Catholic Fund, please make your check payable to World Youth Day 2008 [write Chaldean Catholic Fund on the memo line] and mail your donation to:
World Youth Day 2008 atten: Selina Hasham
Polding Centre
133 Liverpool Street
Sydney NSW 2000
Australia
Your donations will witness solidarity with fellow Catholics seeking to foster their faith in the midst of war.
Please pray for the Iraqi people and for our own men and women serving in the Armed Forces.
Link to Australian World Youth Day 2008 Website
Pilgrims with disabilities, click here for accommodation information.
Join the WYD Global Pilgrimage! Sitting at your computer you can: learn about the cultures of some of the people you will meet at World Youth Day in Sydney, pray for peace and justice, read about the work of the U.S. Catholic Church that serves people around the world, and take action by acting justly and living in solidarity while preparing yourself for World Youth Day.
"To journey without being changed is to be a nomad (or a tourist). To change without journeying is to be a chameleon. To journey and to be transformed by the journey is to be a pilgrim.: -Mark Nepo
Link to WYD PowerPoint Presentation,
given to U.S. WYD coordinators
by Bishop Anthony Fisher, OP, of Sydney
Please check back periodically. We will update this page as more information becomes available to us.