WYD Madrid - Survivors

Oh God, who unites the hearts of your faithful in one desire, inspire your people

people to love your decrees and to hope in your promises, so that in the midst

of many occupations of this world, our hearts may be firm in true joy.

Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and

reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

So here we are, we wake to the most beautiful Spanish sunrise to one side of Cuatro Vientos knowing we've made it through the night and shall forever be known as the Vigil Survivors of the Hexham and Newcastle diocese. In all honesty, we did feel that we had achieved something by staying at the airfield over night and it's fair to say that the ten of us would have felt we had missed out on something had we not had the experience of that night shared with the other 2 million pilgrims around us.

At times it really was like something from a Holywood movie, the way the wind began whipping up around us, how the lightening storm was seemingly right above us and even when some of our group left during the night there was something very bizarre about the way in which they walked away from our group into the storm, almost as if they were going ahead to forge the way for us to follow later!

We ended up spending a lot of our evening and early morning talking to a group of Canadian pilgrims who were also meant to be in our designated section of the airfield but found themselves squeezed out too. So often in our faith we can feel isolated and maybe it takes events like this to realise that there are young people all over the world thinking the same thoughts about their faith as we are here. There were so many similarities between both groups but it was also great to hear how certain things at different in each of our cultures when comparisons were made.

The celebration of mass with Pope Benedict this morning may have been the last of the big occasions for WYD in Madrid this year but the memories we carry home with us will be of a faith shared, cherished and strengthened for each one of us. Planted and built up in Jesus Christ, firm in the faith was the theme of this world youth day and we will leave Madrid with the hope and determination that we can carry out this message in our own ministry to all the other young people we encounter in our lives back in England. World Youth Day has been a truly incredible experience and we are blessed and truly thankful of the opportunities that have been given to us over the last 10 days.

WYD Madrid - Prayer Vigil

Lord, by your grace we are made one in mind and heart. Give us a love

for what you command and a longing for what you promise, so that, amid

this world's changes, our hearts may be set on the world of lasting joy.

Today was all about one thing and that was our participation in the prayer vigil with Pope Benedict at Cuatro Vientos. In a way this was the big event that we'd all been looking forward to, some of us more so than others as the appeal of sleeping out on a runway wasn't exactly everyones cup of tea but we were all willing to give it a go regardless! We had a very long and stuffy ride on the Metro station to reach the nearest stop to Cuatro Vientos then needed to walk a couple of miles just to reach the airfield itself. The heat of the day was such that residents in the local area were hanging out of their windows with hose pipes during our walk to the airfield and the local fire service were driving through the crowds spraying water over everyone too.

Once we reached Cuatro Vientos we had to find our designated spot but quickly realised that we had no chance of setting up camp there as the area was already full so we headed further back into the overspill area and found a spot that was free right on the edge of the runway. Three of us then had one almighty walk to go and get our food parcels from the opposite end of the airfield to where we were based but it was worth it for the feast we all enjoyed once we made it back again, the Spanish people certainly know how to look after us Pilgrims!

As if to complete the circle after our pilgrimage started with a thunder storm in Toledo, another almighty storm was gathering throughout the evening which erupted into life just as we were beginning the prayer vigil at Cuatro Vientos. Nothing could dampen our spirits this evening, however, and we spent the storm sitting under the tiniest of tarpaulins or in rain jackets singing appropriate hymns for the occasions such as our God reigns and other similarly ironic choices. We had the opportunity to walk around the airfield for a little while after the vigil and soak up the atmosphere of so many young people from many different nations singing and dancing then all that was left was for us to get the sleeping bags out and attempt to get some sleep amongst the hysteria of 2million pilgrims dancing their way into the night!

Viva Papa!

This is just a short video of the moment that myself and another pilgrim from the Hexham and Newcastle group were lucky enough to be within yards of Pope Benedict XVI as he drove through the streets of Madrid:

We were simply spending some free time walking around the shops near our hotel when we made a decision about which street to follow next and thankfully for us it was a very lucky decision. Half way along the street we chose we wondered why crowds were gathering and quickly realised after over hearing a conversation that the Pope was soon to be driving along that road as he left the Seminary. Sure enough, within 30 minutes we were able to share this moment with the many other pilgrims lining the streets and it's certainly an experience that I will never forget.

WYD Madrid - Sharing our Faith

May God bless us in his mercy; may he make his face
shine on us, that we might know his ways on earth
and his saving power among all the nations.

This morning we took part in our last Catechesis session and I think all would agree it was by far the best of the three days. The morning started with Curtis Stephen and band playing loads of well known praise and worship songs which had everyone in the Love and Life centre on their feet singing and dancing along. It was also nice to hear Curtis give a shout out to the English pilgrims on a few occasions during the set, we can make as much noise as the Americans if we want to you see!

After this we enjoyed listening to Archbishop Timothy Dolan who had the 12000 pilgrims in front of him captivated with his testimony on how we can evangelise and be proud of our faith in modern society. He was a truly wonderful speaker and it's no wonder the Americans in attendance were speaking of him in such a proud manner when they'd mentioned his name previously.

Today we also had the opportunity to have lunch with Bishop Seamus Cunningham and Fr Marc Lyden Smith before sharing some of our experiences and thoughts on World Youth Day so far. This was a great opportunity to talk openly and honestly with each other and it was refreshing to hear people voicing their thoughts in this way.

WYD Madrid - Arrival of Pope Benedict

Lord, may we who honour the holy name of Jesus enjoy his friendship

and be filled with eternal joy in his kingdom, where he lives and reigns

with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.

Today is the day that the pilgrims in Madrid have been waiting for, the arrival of Pope Benedict in Madrid for the official start of World Youth Day and you could sense the feeling of anticipation around the city all day. We attended the Catechesis session this morning with Dana Scallon leading the singing but after that our minds were set on claiming our spot to watch the arrival of Pope Benedict in Plaza de Cibeles.

We arrived at Plaza de Cibeles about 3 hours before the Pope was due to arrive but the place was already heaving with pilgrims. It's wonderful to see young people representing so many different nations walking through the streets, singing, dancing, praying and enjoying sharing in our faith with each one of us.

Some of the Italians near where our group based ourselves were making us smile by offering 'Free Huggs' (their spelling not mine!) to the passing pilgrims while others were chanting for Pope Benedict for hours before he arrived. The atmosphere near Plaza de Cibeles was incredible, pure happiness radiating from each group as we knew we were soon to be in the presence of Pope Benedict to celebrate his arrival.

Every street around the area was packed with pilgrims looking for a space to sit and watch the ceremony and I think it was at this point we all began to appreciate just how many young people we were sharing this event with. Some were climbing lamp posts, others were standing on top of road signs just to catch a glimpse of Pope Benedict on the large screens that had been set up and although the heat of the day was intense it was a brilliant experience and we're now looking forward to the rest of World Youth Day in Pope Benedict's presence.

WYD Madrid - Marianfest

This evening most of our group headed back to the Love and Life centre to attend Marianfest, celebrating the gift of our Blessed Mother Mary through music, prayer and worship. Many artists took to the stage during the evening including Alexander Acha and Dana.

The lady who undoubtedly stole the show, however, was Danielle Rose who performed a great acoustic set for the audience. The story of her mission to young people goes back to when she was 17 years old and volunteered for Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity and later promised Pope John Paul II that she would be his "messenger to the young people to take up the rosary once again" and she is certainly doing all she can to achieve this.

Behind the main arena at the Love and Life centre is a chapel for Adoration. This will be open throughout WYD and some of our group spent a little time there this evening during Marianfest in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. We don't get the opportunity for exposition all that often in our own churches here in England so it was a great experience to be able to spend some time in the chapel here this evening.

WYD Madrid - Love & Life Centre

Lord, may the Helper, the Spirit who comes from you, fill our hearts
with light and lead us all to truth as your Son promised, for he lives
and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.

Today was the start of our Catechesis sessions and for 12000 English speaking pilgrims this meant heading to the Love & Life Centre in Goya. The session started with a group of Franciscan Friars leading praise and worship with the pilgrims gathered in the Love & Life Centre and if anyone was tired before this session began then we had no chance to be sleepy once everyone was up on their feet singing and dancing!

Once the arena was full all of the pilgrims settled down to listen to testimonies given by some of the Sisters of Life who, along with the Knights of Columbus, are organising the Catechesis sessions at the Love and Life centre this week. One of the aims of these Sisters is to protect and enhance the sacredness of human life and the provided very powerful testimonies of their work to the pilgrims this morning before we all celebrated mass together.

Sharing in the Catechesis this morning with the other English speaking pilgrims also gave us the opportunity to catch up with some of our friends from around the UK who are attending WYD with different groups although it was pretty hard to miss some of them as the picture above shows!

WYD Madrid - Hola Madrid!

Oh God, who are rich in mercy and who willed that Blessed John Paul II
should preside as Pope over your universal Church, grant, we pray, that
instructed by his teaching, we may open our hearts to the saving grace
of Christ, the sole Redeemer of mankind. Who lives and reigns.

So we've made it as far as Madrid, found our hotel, spent an hour or two getting our bearings as we wandered around the city a little and have now celebrated in the official opening mass of World Youth Day. The mass took place in the Plaza de Cibeles and was presided over by the Archbishop of Madrid, Cardinal Antonio Maria Rouco Varela and concelebrated by bishops and priests from across the world.

Earlier today we all received our pilgrim backpacks and although we knew some of the things we'd be getting inside of them it was still nice to take a look at all of the little surprises too! Our Pilgrim Booklet will guide us through each of the masses and celebrations we take part in and our guide and foot vouchers are of course other essential items but we also each received a copy of YOUCAT, WYD hat, rosary beads, fan and a crucifix with JMJ 2011 inscribed on the back.

WYD Toledo - Goodbye Toledo!

The days in the dioceses activities here in Toledo have provided us with a perfect way in which to sample the Spanish culture in a very special way. We've shared in all of the things set up by the Parish of San José Obrero, had a taste of family life with our hosts and met some amazing people.

This morning it was time to say goodbye to them all and many of us were sad to be leaving them behind. We have all been accepted into the parish here as if it were our own and this morning there were even some tears from the surrogate Mam's and Dad's who had been looking after us for the last few days.

Father Alberto was there to say goodbye to everyone along with his very cute altar boys and even some of the parishioners who hadn't acted as hosts turned up to wish us well as we set off for Madrid.

We may meet some of our fellow pilgrims during our time in Madrid but with an anticipated 2million young people in attendance the chances are slim so all that was left was to say goodbye and wish everyone the very best for what is still to come in our pilgrimage. Thank you Toledo for a wonderful 5 days in your parish, you have made us all so welcome and we won't forget our experiences we shared with you.

WYD Toledo - Pilgrim Festival

Today was our last full day in Toledo and our first chance to sample a little bit of the scale of World Youth Day. We'd already made friends with the other nations sharing our experience in the Parish of San José Obrero but today we set out to attend the festival for all 12,000 pilgrims in the city of Toledo.

Before the festivities began we were able to take a walk around the site and visit some of the stalls that had been set up by many different groups attending the festival. The Venezuelan group were keen to share some of their culture with us and it's fair to say that the sweet milk they were giving away attracted more than a few visitors to their stall!

The festival itself was in two parts with many groups singing and dancing on a small stage nearby before the mass took place on the main stage celebrated by many Bishops from the area. After this there was even more opportunity for song and dance with Katy even managing to get Austin up to dance!

It's wonderful to see our faith being celebrated in such an enthusiastic way and a festival such as what we shared tonight truly shows what is so unique in the Catholic church.

WYD Toledo - Toledo Tour

We've found out over the last few days what a beautiful city Toledo is and today we were given the opportunity to sample it up close walking around the narrow cobbled streets for a few hours this afternoon. Initially we'd obviously been slightly sceptical with regards wandering around busy streets during the hottest part of the day but how could we turn down the chance to see such beauty up close? We had a quick drive up to one of the higher points in the city and met up at the Seminary where we watched a video about the history of Toledo before being taken to other key sites, stopping for ice cream and gift buying on the way, then finishing up at the Cathedral of St Mary right in the centre of the city.

It's fair to say that some of the places we visited literally left us lost for words as we seemed to go from one beautiful building to another. Churches, museums, seminaries, convents with each and every one seemingly more picturesque than the previous one.

Father Alberto was on hand again to give us some information about each of the stops that we made although until we found the monkey sitting on a potty on the wall in one of the buildings we really did think he was trying to have a bit of fun with us fine English folk!

As our tour drew to a close we were able to meet up with some groups from other Nations that we'd spent just a little bit of time with in the Seminary at the start of the day for a concert outside of the Cathedral. Some of us were then taken once again by our host families to see some of the smaller places that we hadn't visited previously with the bigger group and although by the end of this day we were certainly ready for bed by the time we got back to our accommodation it had been worth all the effort to sample the culture of this wonderful city first hand like that.

WYD Toledo - Parish of San José Obrero

We've only had a couple of days in the Parish of San José Obrero here in Toledo so far but it's been absolutely action packed since the very start. Today the Tribune newspaper gave a lovely write up on our time so far in the host parish which you can read here if you can understand Spanish better than we can!

Father Alberto has been very welcoming to all of us and has tried his best to make us feel a part of his parish and it's been great to share in each of our activities with the host families who are able to attend. He certainly is quite a character and shall always be remembered by our group for the Eurovision joke he cracked from the Altar this morning when we were the only group to understand what he meant in giving Spain 12pts whilst the South Africans, Canadians and Mexicans looked on with blank expressions.

I must admit, however that our group from England do appear to be having something of an identity crisis just now. Fr Alberto welcomes each nationality to each of the activities that we share together naming South Africa, Mexico and Canada without too many problems before announcing our group as simply being from 'Newcastle', ironic therefore that none of us are actually from the city itself!

The greatest thing about the parish of San José Obrero is in how young and old have come together to celebrate at every opportunity. Wether we are sharing in something as big as the Fiesta last night or simply travelling by bus to another area of the city together, it's all done with so much enthusiasm from everyone involved.

Anyway, time for even more delicious food as we prepare for yet another four course meal with our host family, ahhh so much to eat and so little time...

WYD Toledo - International Friends (Part 3)

What an evening we've had in Toledo tonight as we sampled our very first Spanish Fiesta! All of our host families were asked to bring some food along for a shared table and we've had a truly cultural experience filled with so much happiness and laugher shared between each of the countries represented. While the Fiesta was being prepared outside our group were most definitely those leading the singing inside of the church at the end of mass with much enthusiasm.

We were then given chance to spend more time together as a group, with the other nations also in the parish in Toledo and with our host families with everyone involved in the Days in the Diocese in Toledo attending the Fiesta. There is such a comradeship between everyone involved and it's amazing to see how we can get around the language barriers for the sake of experiencing something such as this as one group.

Once the food (and seconds!) had been eaten each country were asked to perform for the others. We got up and did our bit and made sure everyone else was on their feet to join in with the actions for the songs we were singing. The other groups also brought so much of their own cultures to the Fiesta and of course our Spanish hosts showed many things typical of life in Toledo, the highlight of which was most definitely the dwarf act!

Tonight just showed the respect that we each hold for not only our own group but those of South Africa, Mexico and Spain our hosts and how sharing in our Catholic faith with one another for this event has provided an opportunity never to be forgotten.

WYD Toledo - International Friends (Part 2)

As mentioned in a previous blog, as part of the Days in the Diocese experience we were able to spend a lot of time with our host families and myself and Anne-Marie were lucky enough to be placed with some lovely people who went out of their way to help us get the most out of our visit.

Toledo is a truly beautiful city with a river running right through the heart of it and our hosts were only too keen to let us see that first hand so during our second day we were given a whistle stop tour of the main sights around the area.

Terracotta rooftops line up along the hillside, perilously close to the edge at some points and all along the river bank are derelict remnants of buildings from a more industrial river as it would have been in years gone by. We had walked around the outskirts of this area the previous night but nothing was to prepare us for just how beautiful it would be in daylight.

We made a quick stop for cool down at a hotel on the very top of the hill overlooking Toledo and it's the Cathedral right in the centre of the city that instantly catches your eye as you look across the horizon. So many awe inspiring places for us to enjoy and Anne-Marie was only too happy to pull a catalogue pose out of the bag as I tried to capture this view across the city.

WYD Toledo - International Friends (Part 1)

The beauty of an event such as World Youth Day is the ability for our faith to allow us to break down the barriers between us. We are all coming together for one common cause and although we don't speak the same language as everyone around us we are all there for the same reason. Our first full day in Toledo gave us the chance to share in many activities with our new friends and host families and enjoy the way in which our church has opened up so many chances to each one of us through this event.

This morning we were given an opportunity to express that universality of our faith in a fun way by means of sports competition. The options of basketball and volleyball were turned down in favour of a Spain vs 'Rest of the World' international football match. The team being made up of English, South African and Mexican players played in scorching heat for an hour or so with those not playing making up their own chants of support from the sidelines.

The non-Spanish representatives from each group taking part in the match were all given a commemorative t-shirt to mark the occasion but I think it's true to say that football does speak many languages as the 'Rest of the World' team (which included a young professional footballer from Mexico!) did come out as overall winners at the end of the day.

Voices from World Youth Day

Some of our pilgrims are writing blogs for their different groups back home to give a few updates on what we've been doing since our arrival in Spain.

Michael Thompson has been writing for the Voices column on The Tablet website so please spend a few minutes reading his first blog right here about the first day in Toledo.

WYD Toledo - Stations of the Cross

For most people, staying with another family is a big experience. You have to fit in with their way of living, sleeping, eating and all the while feeling a bit of a spare part. Not knowing when to help and when to sit back and let the family get on with things in their own way. Imagine having to do all of that but in another country... That's a taste of what the first day experience is like for all of us pilgrims. Here we are, in the middle of Spain in a city called Toledo and within minutes of arrival we are all sent off in small groups to our host families who speak little if any English. It's certainly not the easiest thing to do, but with a little patience and lots of laughter we were all able to get through it!

Once we had had something to eat, found out that our families were actually very nice and unpacked a few bits and pieces it was time to get ready for the Stations of the Cross. We'd been warned that this would involve a lot of walking outside yet as we made our way to the parish church we did wonder if it would even take place as a dramatic thunder storm was just beginning to rattle around the hills all around us here in Toledo.

Maybe it was a typical British attitude to think that 'rain would stop play' but we had a very apprehensive attitude at first towards this particularly activity. We shouldn't have been worried however, as the experience in the end turned out to be a brilliant one. In our parish groups we walked around the outskirts of the city in procession. At times the rain was worse than anything most of us had experienced in England and the thunder was lighting up the sky around us but we slowly made our way higher into the hills. Eventually we took shelter in a small chapel on the hillside until the rain eased then made our way back to our coach at the bottom. It was a very strange but amazing experience all in one with the storm around us simply adding to the atmosphere of the evening.

WYD - On the Way

The pilgrims from the Hexham and Newcastle Diocese are currently at Heathrow airport waiting to board the plane to Madrid. It was an early start for us all with a 7am check-in.

The flight from Newcastle to Heathrow went well and everyone is excited for what will await us when we arrive in Toledo tonight. Check the blog for more updates later!

Hartlepool Mail following WYD

Plans are well underway for World Youth Day and the Hartlepool Mail called in earlier this week for a quick photograph and interview with some of the Hartlepool group. We spoke about the time we will spend in Toledo for the Days in the Diocese events and the experiences we will have in Madrid taking part in World Youth Day itself.

If you'd like to read the full interview then click here now. Many Thanks to Dominic Shaw for our interview and Frank Reid for the photograph!

Not the 100 Mile Walk 2011

Once more an intrepid group of young people set off on a 65 mile walking pilgrimage to Holy Island, following the final 2/3 of St. Oswald's Way. On the way we got lost (Jeremy), faced down an angry heard of bulls (Jane) and got very wet (everybody). But the rain could not dampen our Spirit as we passed through some beautiful countryside on our voyage of discovery.

Setting Off

It didn't rain all the time, honestly!

Inspired by our prayers and sustained on our journey by each other we found a God who is closer to us than we sometimes suspect and loves us in each moment of our lives, especially when we've had enough of walking through the worst weather July could throw at us. As the Psalmist said, 'I waited patiently for the Lord, He inclined and heard my cry. He lifted me up out of the pit, out of the miry clay.'

Group Hug

Best view in England!

Praying on the beach at Holy Island

Thanks to everyone who helped make this year's trip happen and the group spirit so strong, especially to those without whom we wouldn't have got much further than Rothbury. You know who you are and you were wonderful! And who would have thought we'd all end up being Saints?

Jimmy has seen the light!

Don't mess with us, we've just walked 100 miles (not!)

Splashing in the puddles

Everyone in St. Aidans Church on Holy Island after our final mass

Yes we made it!