The great expectation

“I thank you all for your participation in World Youth Day 2008, here in Sydney, and I look forward to seeing you again in three years’ time. World Youth Day 2011 will take place in Madrid, Spain”. With these words pronounced in the Sunday Angelus of July 20 2008 at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, Benedict XVI summoned world youth to attend the WYD in Spain. The invitation was reiterated in his message for the 24th WYD in 2009. From that day on, the Spanish Church started preparations in view of the reception of some two million young people in August 16-21 2011. It will be the second time that the WYD is taking place in Spain, ensuing the 1989 edition in Santiago de Compostela. SIR drew a balance of the preparations under way.The pilgrimage of the Cross and the pilgrimage of the Marian Icon. On September 14 2009, the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, the youth pilgrimage of the Cross and the pilgrimage of the Icon of the Holy Virgin departed from the archdiocese of Madrid, visiting the 3rd (East), 8th (North-East) and 5th (south) Vicariates. The Cross also visited the prison of Soto del Real and will be presented at the Javierada, the great annual youth international pilgrimage called by the Bishop of Pamplona and dedicated to Saint Francis Xavier, patron of the missions. In March 2010 for 10 days the Cross will accompany the youth of the University Pastoral and will peregrinate to the military Archbishopric. On March 31 2010, Holy Wednesday, it will be handed on to the dioceses of Getafe and Alcalá de Henares. From April 26 2010 it will visit other Spanish dioceses starting from the Canary Islands, Tenerife, Barcelona, Terragona. The pilgrimage is due to be concluded in Saragossa in 2010. The arrival in Santiago del Compostela (August 2-8), the European meeting of the Youth on the occasion of the Jacobean Holy Year, in Fatima and Lourdes (August 9-31) are the highlights of the pilgrimage.Gadgets. Like the previous editions also the young people attending the WYD in Madrid will have their own pilgrim kit, with useful objects for the meeting. In order to identify the youth’s tastes, a survey has been posted on Facebook’s WYD group asking “what would you like to have in the WYD backpack?”. Some of the youth’s most requested objects are the rosary, the Gospel, a guidebook on Madrid, a t-shirt with the official logo, a cap and a bottle of water. However, some also asked for a torch, although most would opt for a candle. Among the most unusual requests figure a fan – due to high concerns over the hot weather in Spain – backpacks with foldable stools, solar creams and thermal blankets. Also other suggestions are made, like discounts for public transportation, museums, hotels, phonebooks with toll-free hotline numbers and a collection of the principal words in Spanish. Now the organizing Committee is tasked with fulfilling the most appropriate requests. Volunteers. Also the youth yearning to serve as volunteers are ready and waiting. Thirty young people from different nations convened in the WYD main offices in Madrid. Youth from France, Portugal, Poland, USA, Congo, Colombia, Panama and Mexico will take part not only in the final stages of the WYD but also in the preparatory stages. They are tasked with promoting the WYD in their respective Countries, contacting embassies and posting related news on the web. In keeping with the WYD tradition, other volunteers will be at the service of the pilgrims and of the hospitality centres. WYD 2011 volunteers must email voluntarios@jmj2011madrid.com, specifying the available time, individual skills and spoken languages. Days in the diocese. It has become a steady appointment preceding the WYD. The Days in the Diocese will take place August 11-15. A large number of dioceses have already given their availability to grant reception to pilgrims. The diocese of Salamanca will host 3 thousand, also thanks to the help of local institutions. The diocese of Alcalà, one of the three which form the diocese of Madrid, will devote to the WYD an area of 200 thousand square meters where the youth will be able attend moments of prayer, celebrations, music, art and encounter, following the best tradition of the days prior to the meeting with the Pope.