World Youth Day Rio released the official hymn, the song is called in Portuguese “Esperança do amanhecer” , Hope of the Dawn in English.

The chorus says “Christ invites us, Come my friends. Christ send us, Be missionaries.

By Chris Miller
WESTERN CATHOLIC REPORTER

So much could have gone wrong at World Youth Day 2002 in Toronto.

The event was only months after the terror of 9/11, sex abuse scandals involving the Church were erupting, Pope John Paul II was very ill, and a garbage strike was looming in Toronto.

Yet its organizer, Basilian Father Thomas Rosica, said the faith and youth event was a huge success. He referred to Salt and Light, the TV network that he founded, as “the daughter of World Youth Day.”

Now, as preparations continue for next year’s World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Rosica spoke to young people in Edmonton about his experiences with past events, including those in Cologne, Germany in 2005 and Madrid, Spain last year. He is Canada’s national representative for World Youth Day.

Moments after Pope John Paul left the airport in Toronto, Rosica cried during a live interview on CBC.
“A representative from CBC said it is rare that we see someone who is in charge of such an event who not only did it because it was a job, but his heart was in it. I received messages years later,” said Rosica.
The CBC reporter had asked him what World Youth Day meant to him, and he replied, “Toronto is like a canvas in God’s hands, and God sprayed it with these incredible colours, and it was magnificent, and I will never forget this incredible painting that took place.

“It was a work of art,” said Rosica.

Initially, the Italian bishops did not want young people too close to the pope. But Rosica insisted. Ten years later, the enduring images of World Youth Day 2002 are those of young people surrounding the pope, all of them with joyful expressions.

About 50 youth gathered at St. Anthony’s Church on Edmonton’s Whyte Avenue to ask questions of Rosica. Several of them have been to past World Youth Days, an opportunity for catechesis, exploring another nation, socializing among like-minded youth, and perhaps a chance to meet the pope.
Pope John Paul began World Youth Day as a way to capture the spirit of the youth and inspire young people to live the teachings of Christ. His view was that youth are alone in their faith lives and search for God, and they should not be.

PILGRIMAGE

“When you look at what happens during World Youth Days, it’s actually very, very simple. There is nothing outrageous taking place. It’s a pilgrimage,” said Rosica, clarifying the difference between tourism and a pilgrimage.

“A pilgrimage is an essential element for being Christian. It’s what happens along the way, the bonding, the connections. Even if you can’t go on one of the international events, it’s very important to keep the sense of pilgrimage alive, pilgrimage to a regional shrine or a holy place,” said Rosica.

A pilgrimage is a journey to a sacred place for the purpose of venerating it and ultimately to come to know God better. People leave their families and home comforts in order to journey to sacred places.

PASSING THROUGH

“Tourists pass through the places, and they accumulate experiences and buy postcards and nowadays they fill their iPhones with photos. Pilgrims allow the places to pass through them, and leave them changed,” he said.
Rosica explained that young people returning from pilgrimages remember to pay attention during catechesis, they learn the rosary in a special way, they find piety and the Word of God ¬- results that would not come from a typical sightseer trip.

“A pilgrimage is not just waiting for the destination to arrive, but it’s what happens along the way that changes us.”

As evidence, a handful of young people shared glimpses into their World Youth Day experiences. One expressed how she rediscovered the lives of the saints. Others raised their hands when asked if they have kept in contact with people they met at past events.

GOING TO RIO

One young person contemplating his participation in the upcoming World Youth Day is Evan Tarry, 19.
“I’ve never gone to a World Youth Day, but I have friends who have. Rio isn’t quite the same because there might be some safety issues. Being told we can’t carry around our passports and cellphones sort of worries me,” said Tarry.

More than three million young people, between the ages of 18 and 35, are expected to partake of the pilgrimage in Brazil. The 14th international event will be held July 23 to 28.

Next year’s event will allow participants to enjoy an opening Mass and a welcome ceremony with Pope Benedict at Copacabana Beach, and a vigil Mass at Santa Cruz air force base.

The pope announced in August 2011 that the theme for World Youth Day 2013 is taken from the Gospel of Matthew. The theme will be “Go and make disciples of all people.”

Aside from World Youth Day, Rio de Janeiro will host two other major international events over the next four years: the FIFA World Cup in 2014 and the Summer Olympics in 2016.

The registration for WYD Rio 2013 is officially open. Registration is to be done by groups but the number of pilgrims in each group cannot be more than 50.

Each pilgrim group need to have a leader and sub-leader. If the groups are co-ed the team leaders should be a man and a woman.

All Canadian citizens will need a visa to get in to Brazil, and the price of registration indicated by the WYD organization does not include that fee.

If you are a group leader you can register your group on this website   http://www.rio2013.com/en/registration

The details about registration in this slide show http://www.rio2013.com/en/frequently-asked-questions/registration

The World Youth Days have a lasting effect on the young people that participate from around the world.  And the same is true for the host cities.  In this special presentation for the ten year anniversary of WYD Toronto, former National Director and CEO of WYD Toronto, and current CEO of Salt and Light Catholic Media Foundation, Fr. Thomas Rosica, C.S.B. visits some of the memorable sites, recounts the event and shares his personal memories of Blessed John Paul II with host Sebastian Gomes.

How John Paul II was close to me in WYD 2002

We sow seeds, often unknowingly, which yield fruit and great meaning in the future. Sow generously, God gives the growth. This is the story of a little table that brought someone close to John Paul II.

In 2002, I was 16 years old and had just finished grade 10. That summer was to be my first time attending World Youth Day. My parents raised me Catholic and every Sunday we went diligently to mass. I remember often resisting going to mass, and just felt too bored by the whole experience of being Catholic. During those years of my life I had no interest in anything religious. Going to World Youth Day that summer was going to be more a trip to be with “friends” than an anticipated spiritual experience. I look back now, particularly with our celebration of World Youth Day Toronto’s 10th anniversary and recall to myself the seeds that were planted and the story that was to unexpectedly unfold.

My father is a carpenter, he works for a company that owns many apartment buildings throughout the Kitchener, Waterloo, Guelph and Cambridge area. The daughter of the owner of the company is married to Scott, who was responsible for sound system in Downsview Park. Leading up to the week of World Youth Day the Cardinal in charge of the main stage made it known that custom “furniture” was necessary for the Holy Father’s visit. Scott got wind of this need and contacted Frank, my father’s boss. My dad, known to be a Polish man who practiced his faith was asked: “Would you like to build a special table and podium for John Paul II?” My father was awe struck and happily agreed. With less than 4 days to the Holy Father’s arrival, my father built the special little table that rested on John Paul II’s chair above his lap. You can see this little table in many of the videos you may have seen in our broadcast of the WYD 2002 events. It was with him at the Exhibition place and then in Downsview.

Unfortunately, I could not find a picture of my father standing with the table in his arms just as he finished building it. But should someone find that little table someday, inside, above the bottom lid you would find this written: Bogdan Adamczyk, Kitchener, Ontario 2002. My father also built the podium from which the readings were read at the vigil and then for the reading of the gospel at the World Youth Day mass on Sunday. My father doesn’t just fix things made of wood, he is a craftsman and an artist!

I remember my dad working on this project and seeing the pictures he took with it. I was really amazed that somehow of all people this project ended up in the hands of my very own father. I knew this was a great honour to him – I could always tell my father had a deep affection for John Paul II. Less then 48 hours before the Holy Father arrived, my father drove up to Toronto to test how well this little table would actually fit on the chair. This is where my father and Fr. Thomas Rosica first met. Fr. Rosica, upon meeting my father and knowing he was the Polish craftsmen said:  ”Niech bedzie pochwalony Jezus Christus”, which translates: “May Jesus Christ be praised!” Now, normally in Polish culture this is a saying a lay person says to a priest, to which the priest responds: “Na wieki wieków, Amen” (Now and forever, amen). Receiving this greeting in the other way around my father didn’t know what to say!

The table was a perfect fit and was then left with the Holy Father’s staff to be used as needed. Shortly after World Youth Day in Toronto, John Paul II went to Mexico. The little table came with him. I remember my father handing me a large page from a news paper with a picture showing the Holy Father sitting in his chair with his head leaning into his hand and this table, again, right in front of him, at his service. That was the last we heard or saw of this table… for a while…

The podium from which the readings were read was given back to my father and he gave it to Fr. Marian Gil, then pastor of the Polish Maximillian Koble Parish in Mississauga. Fr. Marian now serves from the Polish Oblate residence in Mississauga where the podium now sits in the chapel.

In the summer of 2004 I attended a retreat on Strawberry Island. On the last day of this weeklong and edifying retreat, Fr. Rosica was invited to talk to all the young men about World Youth Day, his experience being so close to John Paul II and how he was called to begin the ministry of Salt and Light Catholic Media Foundation. I was just finishing high school and contemplating the different avenues that my life might take. I did very well in my creative digital media courses, and I often thought about my life moving in that direction. In all honesty, I think most people pictured me in it more than I did myself. While Fr. Rosica was speaking about Salt and Light, I remember thinking to myself: “Maybe someday I will work there.” I still remember the prayer card he handed to me with the prayer on the front and the blue and black Television and logo on the back. I have a replica of this card placed in front of my computer here at Salt + Light. The months leading up to this summer retreat my life made a big turn. I wanted to serve the Lord and be open to discerning a vocation to the priesthood.

I went to seminary. I loved my time there and deeply immersed myself in the formation and friendships. I loved learning philosophy and strengthening my knowledge of the Church of Jesus Christ. While I was finishing my second and final year of Philosophy and anticipating my transition for further studies in Theology, I began to look around at what I could do for the coming summer months. One of my class mates, now Fr. Paul Hrynczyszyn, had interned for a summer at Salt + Light and gave me Fr. Rosica’s email address. I believed my digital media talents  might be a good fit for a role. I remember talking to Fr. Paul about how to be ready should I be interviewed. He said, “just be you” and “don’t overdress”. I got an email response from Fr. Tom several weeks later saying please come on this and this day for an interview. In the email, he said: “If you are recommend by Paul, then you must come see me!” I contacted my father to help me with transportation and I showed up at the doorstep of Salt and Light very nervous about my oncoming interview. My father sat in the reception with me.

Fr. Rosica came to greet me in the reception and I introduced my father. I said to Fr. Rosica: “Father, this is my dad, Bogdan. Do you remember my dad? He built the table and podium for World Youth Day in 2002.” Fr. Tom looked at him and said, “Oh yes, I remember. Both of you, come with me.” We sat in his office and for the first 15 minutes my future boss and mentor chatted with my dad about how this table made its way to a closet in a convent among vacuum cleaners. He told my dad about the curiosity and enthusiasm of airport staff as he brought it to a safe place in the Vatican. I really didn’t know I was being interviewed anymore! Moments later Fr. Rosica turns to me and asks: “What languages do you speak?” I said “Polish”. He then began walking me through the office introducing me to his staff: “Chris here will be working with us for the summer.”

This last week as we celebrated the 10th Anniversary of World Youth Day 2002, the significance of my journey really called me to ponder. I would not be where I am now were it not for John Paull II. Now every time I see the Holy Father pictured with the table, and especially how close he was to it while he spoke to the youth, I feel as though he is being close to me. Though I did not participate with a devoted heart in World Youth Day 2002, I am experiencing first hand how a seed was sown in my heart from John Paul II none the less! And for this gift and journey I thank God, and my Blessed friend, Karol Wojtyla.

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Today I work with a great team in marketing at Salt and Light Catholic Media Foundation. I am the digital Communications Specialist and Webmaster, and managed the upload of the complete events of World Youth Day 2002 to YouTube. If you are signed up to our email updaters (What’s On, Parish Bulletin), I draft them, and if you read Fr. Thomas Rosica’s biblical reflections – I prep his texts for the blog and post them every Tuesday. Most pages on the Salt + Light website  (in both english and french) are drafted, coded and designed be me. Praised be Jesus Christ!

Chris Adamczyk
Salt and Light Catholic Media Foundation

Watch the full video of John Paul II being greeted by the Youth of the World in Exhibition Place, 2002.

Watch the entire video of John Paul II’s arrival into Toronto on July 24, 2002.

This week marks the 10th anniversary of WYD 2002 Toronto. To celebrate we’ll be taking a look back at main events of that WYD, and talking to people who participated as pilgrims or volunteers to see where they are ten years later. Above is our Perspectives Daily show for July 23, which features Fr. Thomas Rosica remembering JPII’s arrival at Exhibition Place, an interview with one of the young men who served as a portageur and worked with the International Liturgy Group. There are also scenes from the moving arrival ceremony at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport.  Stay tuned all week for more highlights of WYD 2002 and to find out what impact that event had on young people’s lives.

The organizing committee of World Youth Day Rio 2013 just launched the official prayer for the event. With this prayer the organizers hope to get the whole world praying together for the success and good fruits of the up coming event, July 23 to 28 next year. You will find the text of the prayer below:

Oh, Father, You sent Your Eternal Son to save the world and chose men and women, through Him, with Him and in Him, to proclaim the Good News to all nations. Grant us the graces necessary so that joy may shine in the faces of all young people, the joy of being, by the power of the Holy Spirit, the evangelists the Church needs in the Third Millennium.

Oh Christ, Redeemer of humanity, the image of Your open arms on the top of Corcovado welcomes all people. In Your paschal offering, You brought us by the Holy Spirit to an encounter of sonship with the Father. Young people, who are fed by Eucharist, hear You in Your Word and meet You as their brother, need your infinite mercy to run the paths of the world missionary-disciples of the New Evangelization.

Oh Holy Spirit, Love of the Father and the Son, with the splendor of Your Truth and the fire of Your Love, send Your Light to all young people so that, driven by their experience of World Youth Day, they may bring to the four corners of the world faith, hope and charity, becoming great builders of a culture of life and peace and catalysts of a new world.

Amen !

Fresh news from Rio, the Days in the Diocese will be replaced by “Mission week”. In the week participants of World Youth Day (WYD) who apply for it will be sent to one of 276 dioceses of Brazil to help in social justice projects.

This change was made at the request of the Brazilian bishops to put WYD in communion with the Aparecida document which calls everyone to be constantly in mission. The Pontifical Council for the Laity accepted because WYD is a missionary event and this is a way of living the theme “Go and make disciples of all nations”

The mission week will be held from July 16 to 21 2013. Not all of the dioceses of the biggest catholic country in the world will receive international youth but all take parte of this initiative

Dioceses are already preparing along with the Brazilian Conference of Bishops (CNBB). A guidebook for this week will be launched and translated in various languages.