In families and on the streets

Despite the remarkable distances, a large number of European youth have come to Australia’s WYD with much curiosity for the Country and the context, after having undertaken long paths of faith, and in some cases after having undergone much sacrifice. Many of them were hosted in the diocese of Melbourne, while a large number found hospitality in the homes of immigrants from their native Countries. Australia’s WYD has thus become an opportunity to erect bridges between different generations and continents (SIR Europe 51/2008). Switzerland: a musical to begin. A group of 80 Swiss from the diocese of Lausanne invented a “musical” on the Virgin Mary. This enabled them, in two years, to cover the expenses of their trip to Australia. “Our group includes animators, catechists and even ordinary youth who attend our meetings – said Roberto De Col, one of the persons in charge of the group. The WYD was an important occasion we didn’t want to miss”. The performance, whose lyrics and music was written by the youth, was put on stage throughout Swiss cities. Now that they’ve come to Australia, De Col points out, “this meeting can promote the rediscovery of faith. However, what is most important is the path that will be undertaken on the way back home. Secularised Countries like those in Europe and like Australia, he added, appear to be marked by a decrease in faith. But perhaps the problem lies not so much in the fact that there is no faith in God, but that faith is relegated to the private sphere. By attending the WYD we discover how beautiful it is to live our faith openly and share it with others”. Germany: faith lived with one’s peers. Also Marie Christine , who came to Australia along with approximately one-hundred youth from the diocese of Oldenburg, claimed that “being Christian and living my faith with my friends doesn’t entail difficulties”. It is precisely the yearning to “meet other young faithful in the context of a major event which made me want to come to the WYD for the very first time”. Poland: evangelizing on the streets. They went along the streets of the city singing and speaking of God with all the young people they met on the way: this is also what the WYD is about. The initiative was taken by a group of Polish youth from different dioceses in the Country, who interpret this trip as a calling to testify their faith to their peers. “Whenever we approach young people, especially Australians – said Karolina Sidor in a perfect English – it’s not true that they are always as cold as we had heard. Indeed some gladly get involved in religious discourse”. “I believe – she added – that everyone seeks something in their life and occasions such as this are important in that they entail a conscious self-examination”. “Already three years ago – we were told by Lukasz Rzeszow, a University student – I had decided to attend this event”. In his opinion the WYD is a spiritual event which shouldn’t be missed “since it gives us the opportunity to meet many more young people and listen to the “Pope’s ‘strong’ words together”. The Poles, who were hosted in families who immigrated to Australia from their same Country, said they received a very warm welcome. Especially for these families, this WYD increasingly proves to be an opportunity to recover relations with their “ancient” Continent of origin. Italy: stories of immigration. Also a large number of Italians were hosted by Italo-Australian families. What’s more, “when they hear us speaking our language – remarked Cristiano Castelli, seminarian from the diocese of Milan – Italo-Australians stop us in the streets”. Italian youth have been experiencing a warm reception throughout all the Australian cities where they are staying on the part of those who left Italy and moved to Australia some time ago. In some cases, the sons and grandsons of immigrants are the ones who open the doors of their homes with joy to give hospitality to youth from their Country of origin. Cristiano, who came to Melbourne with five seminarians to attend the days devoted to the twinning with Australia’s dioceses, told us that “the stories of these Italo-Australians, the difficulties due to the language, to integration and self-accomplishment, along with their attachment to their native Country, to their culture and their faith, are food for thought and remind us that ours has been a land marked by large-scale migration”. Spain: prospects. Maria Manso from Madrid declared that “in being here one experiences a great emotion. This is true especially for us Spaniards, since we hope to host the next WYD in ‘our homes'”. Spanish youth, who have attended the previous WYDs in large numbers, are one of the largest European groups present in Australia for this event. Maria is part of a group of young women, 50 from Spain and 20 from Venezuela, who undertook a preliminary preparatory path for one year in order to be here: “the WYD – she remarked – is a wonderful occasion that is given to us to testify and share our faith with world youth”.