XXIII World Youth Day
Sydney, Australia
 7th – 23rd of July 2008
“And now, as the living presence of the Risen Christ in our midst nourishes our faith and hope, I am pleased to announce that the next World Youth Day will take place in Sydney, Australia, in 2008. We entrust to the maternal guidance of Mary most holy, the future course of the young people of the whole world.”    His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI, 21 August 2005

The WYD08 theme, received from The Holy Father is:
'You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses.' Acts 1:8

There will be a week staying in parishes in Australia and then moving to Sydney for the WYD catechesis and activities. The pilgrimage will culminate with an overnight vigil and mass with Pope Benedict.
Be part of an extraordinary pilgrimage with 100,000s of young people from across the world, make new friends, visit the sights of Sydney harbour, experience new cultures and celebrate mass with Pope Benedict. Don’t miss out on the opportunity of a life time. Start thepilgrimage now!
Cost £1950
For young adults 18-30

The specially designed logo highlights the promise made by Jesus to set fire upon the Earth by the power of the Holy Spirit which inspires the Pilgrims who go to Australia, to believe and witness to Him. Central to the logo is the Cross raised in victory, representing Christ and the life of witness which the Holy Spirit enables. It is the passion of the heart of Christ, poured out into the world from the Cross, which consumes the young people of Sydney, of Australia and of the world. The whiteness of the Cross indicates that Jesus is the light of the world. The flames of the logo represent the Descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost in tongues of fire. They evoke the Sacrament of Confirmation and the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The colours of red, orange and yellow flowing throughout symbolise the Trinity and Unity of God. They also bring to mind the colours of the Australian outback. The blue of the logo represents the oceans that surround Australia, the waters of Baptism, the sea of humanity and Mary, full of grace. The Opera House is the symbol of Sydney, the host city for World Youth Day 2008.

What is World Youth Day?
Well, it is more than a day. It is more than a two week trip, it is an ongoing pilgrimage of faith which takes in the months leading up to WYD and in the time afterwards too. WYD is the largest gathering of young people in the world. It began with Pope John Paul II and continued by Pope Benedict XVI. WYDs are international and cross cultural encounters. Over 100 countries will send delegates, from the very richest to the most impoverished. All share together and learn from each other. You can look on youtube to get people’s own accounts of their visits to WYDs.

Who is it for?
WYD is open for anyone 18-30, wherever you are on your journey you will find something that will help you at WYD. It is unapologetically Catholic but it is open to Christians of all denominations to share in it.

How is it organised?
It is organised by a host city. Over the last few years Denver, Manila, Rome, Toronto and Cologne have hosted the two week experience. The Archdiocese of Liverpool, through the youth office -  Animate Youth Ministries organises the pilgrimage. This year the Archdiocese will link with the diocese of Shrewsbury and Lancaster and will work together before going to Sydney and will share the pilgrimage together in Australia.

It is too expensive
Yes, WYD in 2008 is very expensive but it is also a once in a life time experience to share with one another in a unique moment. Australian young people have come in their 1000s to other WYDs now it is our turn to go to them. The expense should not put you off. If we work together on fundraising and try and get sponsorship the price should fall. The price includes, flights, transfers, transport around Sydney, meals and pilgrimage registration. There are no hidden costs!
There is also the option to get an extended ticket so that you could stay out and explore Australia after WYD.

What will we do when we get there?

 

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WYD Down Under:

Preparation is well under way for the next WYD in Sydney. There are just a few places left, so please get in touch asap if you are interested in going.
The theme that Pope Benedict has chosen is. “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you will be my witnesses, Act 1:8
In each session we prepare our selves for the pilgrimage by following the themes below and through practical preparation.
Sun Sept 30 4-6 pm Lowe House God’s amazing love
*Sun 24th Nov 4-7 pm Lowe House The gift of salvation (Parents meeting)
Sun 27th Jan 4-6 pm Lowe House New lift in Christ
Sun 20th April 4-7 pm Lowe House (Followed by Wetherspoons)Be empowered
Sun 11th May 3-6 pm at Sandymount, Burbobank Rd, Crosby, L23 6TH
Sat 21st June 2-6 pm Lowe House Witnessing in the Spirit

WYD News

New Liverpool logo: We now have our very own Archdiocese of Liverpool logo for World Youth Day which will be on our t shirts and make everyone else around the world wish they had as good a logo as us! Hehe!

Retreat Weekend

Sandymount Retreat Weekend: I’m sure those of you who were there would agree the weekend away at Sandymount was a quality weekend! It was a great chance to spend time together, get to know some other people better and have some timeout from a busy life to have time to chill and also the space to think about World Youth Day and it’s theme. We all had fun out for dinner on Friday night and enjoyed Saturday thinking about the WYD theme and our time out there (I think the most important thing people remembered was that if you have any problems while we’re out in Oz just apply ice and seek medical attention!), on the beach with the lovely weather, learning music and sign language to use while in Australia, and a bit of a crazy quiz and Bush Tucker trial. The night was finished celebrating and singing together while some took some time out for what was said to be an ‘empowering’ Praise and Worship time in the chapel. With some games on Sunday and the meeting in the afternoon, we finished by celebrating Mass together with involvement from everybody. After such a busy weekend, by the end of it all I think we’d all hit a wall.

There are plans for another retreat for when we come back from our Pilgrimage to Sydney. This will take place at: The Ozanam Centre, Snowdonia on Friday 17th – Sunday 19th October 08.This weekend will be a chance to continue that World Youth Day experience and have a reunion weekend away with new found friends and relive some of the great experiences we are sure to have.

Radio Merseyside

those of you who were up early enough on Sunday 25th May may have heard Helen, Lizzie and Rick on radio Merseyside talking about World Youth Day. They had a whole half hour slot at the end of the ‘Daybreak’ programme in which they talked about what World Youth Day is, what they are looking forward to, and what they are hoping to get out of the experience and how they are going to bring that back to their parishes and communities. This was all interspersed between some of our favourite tracks including our group song ‘Come Holy Spirit’.

Cabin Baggage

For all classes, each passenger (except an infant) can bring a free baggage allowance of one cabin bag not exceeding 56x36x23cm (22x14x9 in) in size. These diStarting from 7 January 2008, passengers departing from or transferring through London Heathrow Airport can bring ON
 additional personal item* through security control.

* Personal item can only be a purse, briefcase, laptop** or baby changing bag. All other items such as umbrellas must be placed in checked baggage.

** A laptop in a thin satchel and slim line briefcase is considered a personal item; however a laptop in larger computer bag or larger, bulkier briefcase is counted as a hand baggage. dimensions include wheels, handles and side pockets.


For all travel classes, duty-free items are included in your cabin baggage allowance. Economy Class - 7kg (15lbs)

Excess baggage charges will be collected if the items exceed your free checked baggage allowance

Checked in baggage allowance: Maximum weight of ANY SINGLE PIECE of checked baggage is 32kg (70lbs), unless it's one of the following: Musical instruments Camera equipment Acceptance of any bag weighing more than 32 kg (70 lb) is subject to prior approval and notification upon booking/reservation. Overweight items will be repacked or split into lighter units during check-in otherwise will not be accepted for carriage. Any bag exceeding the total dimensions of 203cm (80in) (width + height + length) will not be carried as accompanied baggage unless prior notification is made with us upon booking/reservation and approval is granted by us.

20kg (44lbs)

 

Payment schedule
All cheques made payable to Animate Youth-WYD
£150 non-returnable deposit on application
1st April £150 non-returnable
We will be setting up direct debit payments for pilgrims of £100 each month from June 07-June 08.
The balance, less fundraising to be paid by 1st June 2008.