TORONTO/COLOGNE, August 15, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) – World Youth Days (WYD)Âhave been aÂhuge international cultural phenomenon. The enormous gatherings of youth, which were responsible for the largest gathering of human persons in Manila in the Philippines in 1995, are a celebration of Christian faith but also a cultural phenomenon which comes as a wave pushing back the culture of death. The lives ofÂmany who experience WYD are said to be changed forever.Â
LifeSiteNews.com is pleased to provide an ongoing glimpse into the experience of the youth currently attending the WYD in Cologne. Our glimpses will be provided by various youth sending reports and will be led by a Canadian priest travelling to WYD with the diocese of Peterborough, in Ontario.
Meet Father Bernard Heffernan, our virtual WYD pilgrimage guide. Father begins our journey as it begins for thousands of youth from all over the world . . .
“I am typing this column as I fly to World Youth Day in Germany with Father Norbert and his 150 pilgrims from Peterborough Diocese.” In most countries large groups of youth met together and were bused to airports and from there waited nervously and excitedly for boarding.“Many of them are first time flyers and first time international travelers”
Father Heffernan has promised us “The View from the Youth” and so he hands off his laptop to one of the youth on the plane. Here’s a reactions from Kit Hickey a grade XI student at St. Peter’s Secondary School in Peterborough. The Lakefield resident says “Yesterday we began our trip to Cologne, Germany. We arrived at the Toronto airport around 5:30 pm. last night. We were delayed by a car crash on the 401 Hwy. When I finally arrived at the plane I was overwhelmed with excitement for the trip. I felt a bit nervous, seeing as how it was my first time flying. Somehow I got the courage to board the plane and discovered that flying was actually a very incredible experience. I look forward to the rest of the trip and all the new things I will encounter and learn.”
The groups of pilgrims often encounter other groups of pilgrims wearing recognizable WYD t-shirts. They are from different lands and yet there is a palpable feeling of togetherness, of oneness in faith, and journey.
Kit passed the laptop on to Phil Hemens, Grade 12 – BMLSS, of Bracebridge who typed “After flying for a long time we arrived in Paris around 9:20 a.m. European time. We met a group from Brazil. We were all excited about meeting so many other groups and nationalities in the future. We took pictures with each other, and then we said our “Good Byes! and continued on to Germany.”
Fr. Heffernan continues . . . Denise Mallia of Huntsville is a mother bringing her wheel chair bound son. Helping her are her daughter and Grandma. I could see how they had to struggle to wheel him, wait for elevators to move him up or down stairs. I asked her why she brought her son and here’s what she said, “My fourteen year old son has cerebral palsy. When the young people were in our parish in 2004 (for the Toronto WYD), we helped with the meals and Mike had a really great time. He decided then that he wanted to go to World Youth Day in Germany. So here we are.’”
‘Hectic’ is an understatement for the days of travel and pilgrimage, and only by midnight did the excitement of the flight finally settle in so most on the plane could catch some sleep. . .
Says Fr. Heffernan – Gradually toward midnight the plane was almost asleep. My busy schedule prevented me from getting my daily Mass said, so while the plane slept, I set up my portable Mass kit on the tray and minus lighted candles about 40,000 feet above the ocean and somewhere off the tip of Greenland, prayed Mass in honour of the Lord of the sea below and the stars above.
jhw