“Re-awakening”: that’s the motto chosen by Austrian Catholic Youth for the international youth pilgrimage to Mariazell planned between 12 and 15 August. Markus Muth, in charge of youth pastoral care, called the pilgrimage one of the “salient points” of the events organized to mark the 850th anniversary of Mariazell. Tens of thousands of young pilgrims are expected to converge on the Marian sanctuary from all the countries of Central Europe: Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Slovenia. The presence of youth from Bavaria, France, Italy and from all over Austria is also expected; they will arrive in Mariazell by train, cycle or on foot. The youth pilgrimage represents a Central European forerunner of the pilgrimage that will take place to Loreto in September, in the presence of Benedict XVI. Many events are on the programme for the youth event in Mariazell: eucharistic celebrations, workshops, a festivity followed by a candlelight procession. Youth unemployment and the future of Europe are the main social issues to be discussed. “The programme was deliberately devised to be broad in perspective and to offer interesting aspects also for youth who don’t belong to the Church”, said Melanie Tisca, coordinator of the Catholic Youth project. “The idea of the youth pilgrimage was originally the brainchild of the Austrian bishops who, at the end of the Katholikentag of the Catholics of Mitteleuropa held at Mariazell in 2004, had made an appeal for the greater unity of the youth of Central Europe”, recalled Muth. The participation of the Austrian bishops in the event has been announced, and has been welcomed by Catholic Youth, since “it’s important that the bishops be not only present, but celebrate mass, speak and pray with the young”. Apart from the Austrian bishops, Cardinal George Pell, archbishop of Sydney, which will host WYD 2008, and the President of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, Archbishop Stanislaw Rylko, will also be present at Mariazell.
