There’ll be more of them” “

They are anxious to get to know the new Pope, to meet Benedict XVI and thus rediscover a sense of belonging to the Church, in memory of John Paul II: the link with the Catholic Church that is always somewhat lacking for those who live in the British Isles. Such, together with enthusiasm and excitement, are the feelings that inspire the 3000 or so youngsters of England and Wales who will depart for Cologne in August to participate in World Youth Day. AFTER COLOGNE A “MINI-YOUTH DAY”. According to HELEN BARDY, press officer for the “Catholic Youth Service” and one of the organizers of the English delegation for Cologne, “for English Catholics WYD will be an opportunity to feel a sense of belonging to the Church, a feeling they often don’t have here in Great Britain. But it will also be an occasion to feel, together with other youngsters, that they are the most important part of the Church. Young people from all the dioceses of the UK, as well as 20 bishops, a larger group than in past years, will be going to Cologne. Preparations began already in the year following WYD in Toronto. And on their return from Cologne, a “mini-youth day” is planned for October, during which the young will have an opportunity to meet each other again and share their experiences. “It’s an experience that will come to form part of their life”, explains Helen Bardy, “At times it’s tough being Catholics here in Great Britain and the generation between the ages of 18 and 30 is, in some sense, a ‘lost generation’ which does not feel it belongs to the Catholic Church; the young don’t think they have a role to play in it, or that the Church cares for them”. So Cologne will be a way “of rediscovering their role within the Catholic Church. Many young people resume going to mass once they return from WYD. The chance to meet people of other cultures and other faiths is also very important. The young then realise the difficulties of those who live in the southern hemisphere, for example, and realise how fortunate they are”. “YOUTH 2000”, INTRODUCING THE YOUNG TO THE FAITH. This year more English youth than in previous years will participate in WYD, also because “the WYD Cross” arrived in the UK in January and was very important in capturing the imagination and the heart of the young who have decided to go to Cologne”, explains Helen Bardy. Some 200 of these young people form part of “Youth 2000”, a movement of evangelization that brings the word of the Gospel to British schools, organizes retreats and moments of prayer and adoration, and holds crash courses for preparation in the Catholic faith for non-believers. “Youth 2000” is present in 40 countries throughout the world and is rapidly growing in the USA, Germany, France, Spain and the Czech Republic. Those that have discovered the faith through the movement include CHARLOTTE BYRNE, who is 22 years old; she will become Catholic on 15 May and is following the programme of catechumenate. “I encountered the Catholic Church at Newman College in Birmingham where I am studying history and education – she says – and it made a deep impression on me. The meeting with Jesus made me a far more positive and happier person, and more open to others. Today I depend on God for the choices I make in my everyday life”. According to the director of “Youth 2000” ROBERT TOONE, WYD is an occasion for British Catholics to feel close to those of the rest of the world. “World Youth Day represents for me a personal meeting with Christ, and a new step in my understanding of Jesus”. “I CAN’T WAIT TO GET TO KNOW THE POPE”. “I can’t wait to get to know the new Pope. It will be a very exciting meeting,” says JOHN POLLARD, 27 years old, full-time volunteer for “Youth 2000”. “Being a young Catholic in England is not easy, because the message of Jesus runs counter to the dominant culture, in which the abuse of sexuality and drugs is very common. John Paul II hoped and trusted in the young and the young responded in a positive way because they liked being challenged by the Pope. This will be the third time I have participated in WYD and each time I feel myself renewed in my faith”.