Firm in the Faith

I have just returned from a meeting with the Liverpool Archdiocese Youth team (known as Animate) that was ran in order to prepare us for the World Youth Day pilgrimage to Madrid this August, in which Pope Benedict will take part.


This will be my second pilgrimage with the team after travelling to London last September to take part in the visit of the Holy Father. For those of you that are not aware what World Youth Day is...World Youth Day (or in short 'WYD') was initiated by Pope Blessed to be John Paul II in 1985. It is celebrated on a diocesan level annually, and at a week-long international level every two to three years at different locations. The international level events (which is what I will be taking part in) attract hundreds of thousands of youth from almost every country on the planet. It is a major part of the upsurge in Catholic Youth Work in some countries over recent years; for example, the Director of Catholic Youth Services for England and Wales has said of the event that it would have far-reaching effects, not restricted to those who attended. 

(Archdiocese of Liverpool Youth who took part in the Papal Visit 2010 - The Vatican flag, it is worth mentioning, is my own possession and is now flying from the flagpole at St. Margaret Mary's Catholic Church, Huyton.)

This year, I will accompany the Archdiocesan team, led by the Rev. Fr. Pritchard (pictured below) to Spain where I will be staying with Spanish families, in a hotel, and on the tarmac of an airfield, so nothing I haven't done plenty of times before!! (Only joking, I've never really stayed in a hotel.) I'm hoping to get a lot out of the trip; a deeper understanding of  my faith, an increased knowledge of the Holy Father's mission here on earth and, of course, the ability to go to a youth gathering without having to bear endless periods of liturgical dance. 



(Fr. Pritchard who has, in this picture, traded in his biretta for some sort of post Vatican II coronet)


I do hope however, to live out the motto of this year's pilgrimage "Rooted and built up in Jesus Christ, firm in the faith" (Col. 2:7).  I hope that the message of the Pope and of Him who he represents will be something that will not only remain with us for the two weeks that we spend in Spain, but instead travel home with us to our Parishes and to our local communities, especially to those who may not know of the love that stems from Jesus Christ, our Lord and our friend. I hope that this trip will be a reminder of the mission that we, who are given charisma from the Holy Spirit, must go out into the world and proclaim the love of Our Lord, to defend the church which he established and to be a light to enlighten those who do not yet know God.


May God Bless us all,


James :)


PS: The link for WYD 2011 is at the side of this blog!