Catholic Diocese of Broome

It is time to prepare for WYD11 in Madrid, Spain. Once again the Holy Father has invited the youth of the world to gather and meet with him as pilgrims to celebrate and deepen their faith. Just as Sydney in 2008 was the single largest gathering of youth in the history of the nation so Madrid promises to be a huge festival of unprecedented proportions.

Three years has almost passed since we started the twelve month countdown to WYD08 in Sydney. Our preparation time included the journey of the Cross and Icon around this local Church of the Kimberley as well as a variety of retreats, camps and meetings. Many people, not only youth, enjoyed the benefit of getting ready for WYD08. I

would like to see us share as a local Church the benefits of preparing for WYD11 too. Our own Youth Cross and the Our Lady of the Kimberley Icon are soon to be seen in a variety of locations. The chance to gather and to learn and to deepen our faith is once more made available to us in this special way.

The group who attended the Sydney 08 was the single largest ever group of young people to leave the Kimberley at any one time. What a magnificent experience for the one hundred and twenty pilgrims who traveled to the NSW capital from all over the Kimberley. Who will ever forget the Stations of the Cross that were broadcast from Sydney around the nation and the arrival in the city of the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, crossing that beautiful harbour by boat. For me a lasting joy was to hear Sydney people say how open and friendly the city had become as a result of that celebrated occasion when for a week an enormous crowd of peaceful and faith-sharing young people visited the city as never before, spreading happiness and goodness wherever they went. Like others, Kimberley pilgrims had a memorable time and experienced something extraordinarily unique in the life of the country. Truly it was a once-in-a-lifetime happening for our nation and now we turn our attention to the continent of Europe, to Madrid, the capital of Spain.

Young pilgrims from the Kimberley are invited to apply through their Parish Priests, their Catholic School Principals or Pastoral Associates to be accepted as a pilgrim with the Kimberley group to travel to Spain in August 2011. I hope that at least four young people from each Parish will travel to Spain to represent us, to partake in the pilgrimage and to enjoy the experience of being with millions of other youth.

If you are over eighteen you will need a passport and you will need to apply for it through your nearest post office well before we leave. Pilgrims accepted to join the Kimberley group ideally will be aged eighteen to thirty-five. Teaching assistants and teachers in that age group are especially invited to apply. The period away
will be a little over two weeks and will cost $6000 per person. A 50% subsidy is available to all applicants. Parishes and schools are asked to help their representatives raise the rest of the cash.

WYD11. Madrid, Spain. Let’s get our pilgrimage underway!