The Augustinian Friars in Britain

Our Hearts are Restless until they Rest in You, Lord

World Youth Day with the Augustinians 12-27 July 2008

Sunday 13th July 2008

The group of 29 young people and friars heading out for World Youth Day with the Augustinians met in Hammersmith on Saturday for Mass and a meal before heading to Heathrow for the 22.35 flight to Sydney (arriving 6.15am Monday morning Australia time!).

 

Week 1: the group will be staying at St Augustine's College in Brookvale during the first week, with other Augustinian groups from around the world.

Activities in the first week:

• Catechesis in different locations around Sydney, youth festivals and workshops, a Via Crucis around the City.
• The Pope arrives in Darling Harbour on Thursday 17th
• On Saturday 19th after breakfast and Mass in Manley Vale - another Augustinian parish - all the Augustinian groups will walk together to Randwick Racecourse for the overnight vigil and sleep out finishing with Mass on Sunday morning.

 

Week 2: is the Augustinian International Youth Encounter, 'Sharing All Things in Common' - half an hour up the coast at the Collaroy Centre.

Activities in the second week:

• The Prior General will lead the opening ceremonial dinner and presentation of nations.
• Activities include faith-sharing, a visit to the Bush to celebrate Mass and meet Aboriginal elders, the festival of nations.
• The Anglo-Scottish group has been asked to do a presentation on how they are 'Signs of Hope'.
• The group leaves Sydney on Sunday 27th, arriving back at Heathrow at 6.20am on Monday 28th.
• There will be lots of news and photos on www.augustinians.org.uk on our return. Also, follow the progress of World Youth Day at www.wyd2008.org

 

Please keep the group in your prayers.

 

Michela Notarianni

 

March 2008

Act 1 v 8 – ACTIVATE!

It’s 4 months and counting until our group of 31 young adults and friars travel to Sydney for World Youth Day with the Augustinians from 12-27 July. During the first week of our stay, we will be attending the World Youth Day week, which offers an opportunity to learn and share about our Catholic faith. This year the theme is taken from Acts 1: 8:

 

‘You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses.’

 

Catechesis (teaching) sessions will take place most mornings and Bishops will discuss faith themes with the young people in religious venues all over Sydney. The afternoons will consist of festival events, or activities such as the Via Crucis, taking place in different locations such as the Opera House or Darling Harbour, so that the pilgrims really get a feel of this vibrant city, as well as acting as a youthful witness to the residents who will be going about their daily routines. The week culminates in an overnight vigil on the Saturday and Mass with the Pope on the Sunday morning. We will be sleeping out under the stars on the Randwick Racecourse, the only venue big enough to host the 500,000 pilgrims expected for the final Mass.

 

The WYD08 theme, received from The Holy Father is:

 

'You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses.' Acts 1:8

 

This passage occurs after the death and resurrection of Jesus, just before his ascension to the Father. It represents the birth of the Church.

 

The disciples had questioned Jesus about the time of the restoration of Israel. His words 'You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you' were somewhat surprising - they referred to a new meaning of the word "power". Jesus promises a different kind of "power" to help the Jews from under the yoke of Roman occupation. The power He promises to give is the very Spirit of God, the dynamic potential for transformation, the very condition of living according to the manner of Jesus' life.

 

This Spirit is not a vague ambiguous force, rather it is a Divine Person, the true Self Gift of the Father to the Son, and the Son to the Father, and hence the gift of the Father to us in the Son - with Him we say "Our Father". Only with the reception of the Spirit of Jesus can we exercise the authentic passion of the Heart of Christ, and hence by being set on fire with it do we as persons become witnesses to Him and everything for which He stands.

 

The ultimate witness we can make is to follow in the pattern of His life through the total self gift of our lives, lived authentically in truth and love for Him and at the service of others.

 

(from the official website:www.wyd2008.org )

 

The Programme

 

World Youth Day

14- 20 July: During the week leading up to World Youth Day we will join in the activities with thousands of young people from all over the world. The week culminates with the evening Vigil with the Holy Father and a sleep-out under the southern skies followed by Mass on Sunday 20th.

 

International Augustinian Youth Gathering

21-27 July: It doesn’t end there for our Augustinian group. During the week that follows we’ll be joining other young people from Augustinian parishes around the world to take part in the International Youth Gathering hosted by the Australian Augustinians. This includes some free time to recover from the previous week’s events, followed by around 5 days of faith-sharing, workshops, fun activities, prayer and time for relaxation. This may take place further up the scenic New South Wales Coast north of Sydney. It will be an opportunity to meet other young people in a smaller group, and enjoy the more relaxing atmosphere when most other groups will have left Australia.

 

WYD08 Programme of Events

It's still early days for planning the detail of the events and programmes for WYD08, but here's an outline of the main events.

 

Monday 14 July 08 - Registration

 

Tuesday 15 July 08

Opening Mass of welcome celebrated by George Cardinal Pell followed by concert

 

Wednesday 16 - Friday 18 July 08

Catechesis (teaching) sessions every morning and festival events in afternoon / evening

 

Thursday 17 July 08

Arrival and welcome of The Holy Father

 

Friday 18 July 08 - evening

Stations of the Cross - a re-enactment of Our Lord's Passion and Death

 

Saturday 19 July 08

Pilgrimage walk to site of Closing Mass, evening Vigil with The Holy Father and sleep out 'under the stars'

 

Sunday 20 July 08

Closing Mass and concluding events

 

 

Travel arrangements

We plan to travel as a group and will start booking flights around mid-August/September to get the best deals. If you wish to extend your trip either before or after the event, you will be expected to make your own travel arrangements. You will still need to register with us and pay any money for the event itself.

 

Cost

Travelling to Australia is not cheap and we expect the cost to be in the region of £1600. Don’t let this put you off, however, as it’s amazing how much can be made through fundraising! If you register, you will be expected to organise or join in any fundraising activities in your parish, to help as many people as possible to get to Sydney.

 

If you like what you’ve read so far and would like to register, please contact Michela Notarianni for a booking form: osayouth@aol.com or 020 87483254.

 

You can also see what’s happening online at the official World Youth Day website: www.wyd08.org

 

Prayer for World Youth Day 2008

 

God Our Father,

we consecrate to you the World Youth Day in Sydney in 2008.

Guide and protect Pope Benedict and all the leaders of the Church.

Inspire and direct all those leading and planning the World Youth Day. Unite and protect them by your fatherly care.

Amen

 

Lord Jesus Christ,

before you ascended to the Father,

you promised to send your Holy Spirit so that we might be your witnesses to the end of the earth.

Bless and multiply the efforts of all our staff and volunteers.

Help us to take up our cross and follow you

under the heavenly sign of the Southern Cross.

Amen

 

Holy Spirit,

pour out your grace on this Great South Land

of the Holy Spirit and grant to us a New Pentecost.

Make of this land a true place of welcome

for the young people of the world.

Grant to those young people who come conversion of life,

a deeper faith, and love for all.

Enable them to build a new civilization of life, love and truth.

Make them true witnesses to your power and grace.

Amen

 

Our Lady of the Southern Cross, Help of Christians - pray for us.

 

Blessed Mary MacKillop - pray for us.

Act 2!

With the singing from the Mass still ringing in our ears and with many pilgrims heading for home, Week 2 of our trip will begin and we shall head up the coast to the venue of the International Augustinian Youth Encounter or ‘ACT2SYD’. The theme of this week is taken from Acts 2:44 and is a verse that informs St Augustine’s rule for religious life:

 

‘And all those who believed came together and shared all things in common.’

 

Highlights of the programme include the opening ceremonial meal which will enact the Last Supper; and a day in the Bush meeting Aboriginal Elders to learn about their spirituality, before celebrating Mass in the open.

 

For the first time, the location of the Augustinian Encounter will allow a large representation from the Asian Provinces, with groups travelling from Japan, Korea, the Philippines and India, as well as young people flying in from the United States, Nigeria and Slovakia - as well as Scotland and England, of course!

 

The event promises to be the trip of a lifetime, not only because of the exciting venue, but because of the opportunity it provides for young people to reflect on and celebrate their faith with thousands of others like them.

 

To find out more about World Youth Day go to: www.wyd2008.org

For more about the Augustinian Youth Encounter go to: www.aye2008.org

 

Dates: 12-27 July 2008

Cost: around £1600

Ages: 18+

 

Meet the Pope and thousands of other young people in Sydney at World Youth Day 2008. We are taking a group to Australia for the week eading up to World Youth Day on 20 July, as well as joining in the International Augustinian Youth Gathering taking place immediately afterwards. If you would like to join us, please contact Michela Notarianni for a booking form at: osayouth@aol.com or 020 87483254.