World Youth Day was an amazing experience for me. Every single day we were among so many youth who all shared the same faith.

How is it that so many hundreds of thousands of people could be so silent? It is not very often that you get the opportunity to experience such a strong sense of our faith.

When we arrived we were placed at the Sydney Olympic Village to sleep for two nights. We were in a very large hall, which filled up on our second night. For our third night we were moved to Our Lady Star of the Sea School at Miranda. We were all so amazed at the hospitality they showed us. Every night when we arrived back at the school there were always people there to welcome us with food and hot drinks in the parish office. They made us so much delicious savoury food and baking, going out of their way to make sure our stay was good. We were so lucky to have such an amazing host school.

On the Tuesday attended the opening Mass at Barangaroo. I was totally amazed at the size of the crowd, even though I had been told to expect it. We had Mass and even Communion.

The next day we had Catechesis in the morning, then made our way into town for the New Zealand gathering in the Horden Pavilion. There were so many New Zealanders there and it was good to spend time with these people. The presentation was very patriotic and we sang the national anthem.

On Thursday the Pope arrived. We were lucky enough to have a place just a bit further back from where he disembarked off the boat. He went straight past us in the Pope mobile but there were too many people in front of us to get a good view, although I was lucky enough to get up on a friend’s shoulders and see the back of it.

On the Friday we saw the Stations of the Cross, which was a really good time for reflection.

The following day we packed our stuff and set off on our nine kilometre walk to Randwick Racecourse. We were lucky enough to have the opportunity to walk over Sydney Harbour Bridge, which was closed to traffic for only the fourth time ever. On arrival at Randwick we set up our stuff with the South Taranaki group and spent the rest of the day meeting pilgrims from many other countries.

That night we had a Vigil Mass and we were all given candles, which we lit. We slept that night under the stars, true pilgrim style. Sunday, the last day, the final Mass was celebrated and some lucky pilgrims were confirmed. Afterwards the Pope announced where the next World Youth Day was to take place: Spain in 2011!

World Youth Day was such a wonderful experience and I most definitely recommend anyone going should they get the chance. I hope perhaps one day, I might get to go again. Maybe I’ll see you in Spain in three years time.

Jemma Mallon

Other news (WORLD YOUTH DAY)

Jemma Mallon, Scott Corboy, Louis Grainger and the D’Ath family (parents: Andrew and Theresa and children: Joshua (9), Benjamin (6) and Charlotte (4) were commissioned by Bishop Owen at Mass on Ascension Sunday and presented to the congregation as they prepared for their pilgrimage to World Youth Day in Sydney. The Mallon family also hosted 2 pilgrims from Montana, USA, on their way to Sydney. Here are some of their experiences.

DAYS IN THE DIOCESE

Before Jemma went to World Youth Day in Sydney, 47 World Youth Day pilgrims arrived in New Plymouth from Montana in the United States of America. We were lucky enough to be day hosts to Laura and Makayla, neither of whom had seen the sea before in their lives.

After the official welcome on the day they arrived, we took them down to the mouth of the Waiwhakaiho River mouth and they walked along the beaches to East End Beach, where they had their first of many tastes of New Zealand ice-cream. They were amazed with the sunset at Back Beach.

The second day they spent shopping in town and had a guided tour of Taranaki Life and Taonga Maori galleries and a presentation of Maori cultural practices at Puke Ariki Museum. Then there was a climb up Paritutu. For dinner that night many joined them at St Joseph’s for a fish n chip meal with chocolate fish and doughnuts for supper.

Friday saw us all out at Owae Marae in Waitara being immersed in all customs Maori, followed by a break at Urenui Beach and then a visit to the Faull milking platform at Tikorangi.

Jemma had to be at the bus at St Joseph’s at 5.30am on Saturday, by which time the weather had broken and Sister Mary and I were thoroughly soaked. Makayla, Laura and I spent the day dodging heavy showers while visiting the rock pools at Kaweroa, Pukekura Park, the Gables, the Bowl of Brooklands and the Zoo.

After dinner that night we went to the presbytery to watch the All Blacks with Father Manus, go to another Mass, and at 11pm, load our new American friends on to their bus for their journey back to Auckland and on to Sydney.

I am sure that they all had an amazing experience of life in Taranaki, and we were all enriched with their friendliness, generosity and their passion for God.

My thanks go out to all those who helped out with the organization and support.

Jennifer Mallon