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American Sisters. Day 6

August 22, 2011 by 1 Comment

WYD Madrid 2011 has officially come to a close but its fruits will spread throughout the world. Our experience at Cuatro Vientos truly tested the theme: Firmes en la fe! As you may have seen, Cuatro Vientos became “un mil vientos!” Despite the scary lightning and ferocious winds, we stood (ok…crouched) in prayer. We were deeply touched when the Holy Father expressed how proud he was of the nearly 2 million pilgrims who withstood the storm. In our section we began to sing and pray together above the noise of the wind and rain. Perhaps the most touching part was when the Holy Father knelt before the Eucharist and entrusted the youth to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Despite the burning sun, the stormy blast and the damp night, pilgrims praised the Lord all night with drums and dancing. We were sad that the adoration chapels were destroyed by the storm and that we couldn’t receive the Eucharist, but our Holy Father reminded us that Christ will never abandon us. After the beautiful closing Mass, the trek to Madrid was tiring, yet pilgrims continued to spread the Gospel by their joyful songs and chants in all languages.  Locals generously offered directions, rides and sprayed water off their rooftops to cool us off. “Esta es la juventud del Papa!” See you in Rio 2013!  – Sr Colleen, Sr Susan and Sr Angela

- © CNS photo/Paul Haring

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Pope lauds Spain’s ‘profoundly Catholic soul’ upon departure

August 21, 2011 by 1 Comment

After thanking WYD volunteers, Benedict XVI left immediately for Madrid’s Barajas airport. In the presence of Spain’s King and Queen, he thanked the Spanish authorities and assured the country of his prayers. He specifically mentioned his concern for those suffering from the high rate of unemployment in Spain.

The Holy Father called Spain “a great nation” that is “capable of moving forward without surrendering its profoundly religious and Catholic soul.”

The Pope also congratulated pilgrims for their “joyful, enthusiastic and intense presence.” He says they will be returning home as “missionaries of the Gospel” who will help their friends “discover that loving Christ means living life to the full”.

The papal plane is expected to land at Rome’s Ciampino Airport at 9:30pm local time.

The English translation of the Pope’s farewell address is posted below.
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Thanking volunteers, Benedict XVI asks for something more

August 21, 2011 by 1 Comment

Today is the Pope’s last day in Madrid, but he wasn’t going to leave without expressing a personal thank you. Before heading to the airport, the Holy Father met with World Youth Day volunteers at the IFEMA Fairgrounds.

In his address to volunteers, he said that their work and prayer was like “weav[ing], stitch by stitch, a magnificent, colourful tapestry”. In particular, he praised the sacrifice of those who had to miss World Youth Day events because they needed to keep working behind the scenes.

The Pope asked them to consider extending their service to the Church through priesthood, consecrated life, or marriage. In doing so, he acknowledged that even as he was thanking the volunteers, he was asking them to do something more.

“But that is the mission of the Pope, the Successor of Peter,” he explained, to call the faithful to “respond in love to the One who for love gave himself up for us.”

The English translation of the Pope’s address continues below.
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‘May no adversity paralyze you’: Pope’s address at rainsoaked Vigil

August 20, 2011 by 1 Comment

The official World Youth Day website has published a translation of the full address that Benedict XVI intended to give at the WYD Vigil. Due to heavy wind and rain, the Pope limited his spoken remarks to the greetings to the different language groups at the end of his address. The vigil resumed following a brief delay as the weather passed.

Dear Young Friends,

I greet all of you, especially the young people who have asked me their questions, and I thank them for the sincerity with which they set forth their concerns, that express the longing which all of you have to achieve something great in life, something which can bring you fulfillment and happiness.

How can a young person be true to the faith and yet continue to aspire to high ideals in today’s society? In the Gospel we have just heard, Jesus gives us an answer to this urgent question: “As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love” (Jn 15:9).

Yes, dear friends, God loves us. This is the great truth of our life; it is what makes everything else meaningful. We are not the product of blind chance or absurdity; instead our life originates as part of a loving plan of God. To abide in his love, then, means living a life rooted in faith, since faith is more than the mere acceptance of certain abstract truths: it is an intimate relationship with Christ, who enables us to open our hearts to this mystery of love and to live as men and women conscious of being loved by God.
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Patroness of Madrid

July 7, 2011 by Leave a Comment

The devotion to Our Lady of Almudena, patroness of Madrid, and to whom the Cathedral Church in Madrid is dedicated, began in the 11th century. Tradition tells us that when Dom Alfonso VI conquered Madrid in 1083, he immediately ordered the purification of the Church of Santa Maria, which had been profaned by the Moors.

Since the statue of Our Lady, which the Apostle St. James had placed in that building in the early days of the Chuch, had disappeared, the King, together with the religious authorities, made a procession praying to Our Lord to help them find the statue. The pious cortege processed around the walls of the city, singing and praying.

At a certain moment, part of the wall fell and they found the statue of Our Lady that had been hidden there for over 300 years. On either side of the statue were two candles – still lighted and burning – that Catholics had placed there in homage of the Virgin before closing the niche where they had hidden her statue. Almudena means market or granary, and this name was given to the statue because the place where it was hidden was near the Moorish granary.

History

The site on which Almudena Cathedral now stands was originally occupied by Madrid’s first mosque, then by a church dedicated to one of Madrid’s patron saints, Santa María de la Almudena.

Plans for a grand new church began in the 16th century after King Philip II made Madrid the capital of Spain. But construction was constantly postponed due to various political issues and opposition from the powerful archdiocese of Toledo.

Finally, in 1868, Madrid received permission from Toledo to construct a new church dedicated to the Virgin of Almudena. Construction began in 1883 based on a Neo-Gothic design. The first part to be completed was the crypt, which contains a 16th-century image of Madrid’s patroness the Virgen de la Almudena.

A year later, in 1884, Pope Leo XIII created the Diocese of Madrid, giving Madrid a bishop and raising the status of the new Almudena church to a cathedral. The building plans were updated to reflect the elevated status of the building.

Construction on the cathedral progressed slowly and came to a complete halt during the civil war of the 1930s. The process began again in 1944, when the new architect introduced a Neoclassical style that would match the Royal Palace next door.

Almudena Cathedral was completed in 1993 and consecrated in person by Pope John Paul II that same year. A statue of the pope in front of the cathedral commemorates the momentous occasion. The cathedral was given another publicity boost with the sumptuous wedding of Prince Felipe and Doña Letizia in May 2004, the first such royal event in nearly a century.

What to See

The bright interior of Almudena Cathedral is based in the Gothic style, but modern and modest compared to most Spanish cathedrals. Its “pop art” stained glass windows were recently revealed to be copies.

Although lacking the architectural merit or historical significance of other European cathedrals, Almudena Cathedral is nonetheless worth a visit due to its uniqueness, its modern beauty, and its sheer size: it measures 104m long and 76m wide, with a central dome measuring 20m in diameter.

Be sure to try to make time so see this beautiful Cathedral while you are in Madrid for WYD 2011!   And may the Blessed Virgin Mary protect you on your pilgrimage to and from Madrid.

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Pope Benedict XVI’s Madrid Schedule

July 5, 2011 by Leave a Comment

THURSDAY, AUGUST 18th , 2011
9.30
Leaves from Rome Ciampino airport

12:00
Arrival at Barajas international  airport.
Welcoming Ceremony at Barajas airport. Speech by the Holy Father.

19:15
Crosses Puerta de Alcalá in Independencia Square with some Young people

19:30
Welcoming party of the Young people in Madrid’s Cibeles Square. Speech by the Holy Father.

FRIDAY AUGUST 19th, 2011

07:30
Holy Mass in private in the chapel of the Apostolic Nunciature, Madrid.

10:00
Courtesy visit to their Majesties the King and Queen of Spain in the Zarzuela Palace, Madrid.

San Lorenzo de El Escorial
11:30
Meeting with young nuns in the Patio of the Kings, Monastery of El Escorial.  Greeting of the Holy Father.

12:00
Meeting with 2,000 young university professors, in the Basilica of San Lorenzo de El Escorial. Speech by the Holy Father.
Madrid
13:45
Lunch with young people in the Ambassadors Lounge of the Nunciature.

17:30
Official reception with the President of Spain in the Nunciature

19:30
Vía Crucis in Cibeles Square. Speech by the Holy Father.

 

SATURDAY AUGUST 20th, 2011

09:00
Confession with some young people in the Buen Retiro Park, Madrid

10:00
Holy Mass with young seminarians in the Almudena Cathedral. Homily by the Holy Father.

12:45
Lunch with the Cardinals of Spain, Bishops of Madrid Province, Auxiliary Bishops of Madrid and the Papal retinue in the Cardinal’s Residence.

17:00
Meeting with the Local Organizing Committee of the XXVI WYD  in the Apostolic Nunciature

19:40
Visit to the Institute Foundation of Saint Joseph, Madrid. Speech by the Holy Father.

20:30
Prayer Vigil at Cuatro Vientos aeordrome. Speech by the Holy Father.

SUNDAY AUGUST 21st, 2011

09:30
Holy Mass to close the XXVI World Youth Day at Cuatro Vientos, Madrid. Speech by the Holy Father.

Holy Angelus at Cuatro Vientos. The Holy Father will speak.

12:45
Lunch with the Cardinals of Spain and the Papal Retinue in the Apostolic Nunciature, Madrid.

17:00
Farewell from the Nunciature

17:30
Meeting with WYD volunteers in Pavillion 9 of IFEMA, the Madrid Convention Center.  Speech by the Holy Father.

18:30
Official farewell Ceremony at Barajas Airport. Speech by the Holy Father.

19:00
The Holy Father’s plane takes off
Rome
21:30
The Holy Father arrives at Roma Ciampino airport

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Madrid Liturgical Linens “Made in USA”

July 4, 2011 by 1 Comment
Although they are a bit of a ways from Madrid, the contemplative community “Edith Stein” in Brooklyn (New York) is contributing their “two cents” to WYD. As soon as they heard about the “Just a Stitch Away” campaign (original title in Spanish: “Coser y Cantar”) that has offered so many people a chance of lending a hand in the production of liturgical linens for the Papal ceremonies during WYD, they did not hesitate to collaborate. 

estolas_jmj_2011_300

They have already made 25 purple stoles. “We know that they will not only be used during the days of World Youth Day, but that they will also be sent later on to the poorest missions,” they comment. So, all the more reason to see each of their stitches as being doubly worth the effort.

Unsure of how they were going to cover the costs of all the material (fabric, thread, etc.), they entrusted themselves to Divine Providence. Their confidence was rewarded and even the cost of shipping everything from the United States has been covered thanks to donations.

The Sisters also comment that the initiative has helped them experience, in a very real way, what it means to be a member of the great family of the Church: “We can certainly say that we are participating in World Youth Day, not only with what we most dedicate ourselves to, our prayer, but also with our manual labor, making sacred linens used in the worship of God.”
Dios”.

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Get On

July 3, 2011 by Leave a Comment

‘This train comes only once…‘, you may recognize the song, ‘Get on’, written by Eva García exclusively for WYD Madrid11. And you will recognize the footage of the making of the video spot: “The train only comes once in a lifetime.”

“Get on , this is the train where you belong, so get on -
Here I am on this fascinating journey…. our train is reaching our final stop….”

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Choirs Needed to Sing at World Youth Day

July 2, 2011 by Leave a Comment

coros_1Madrid, June 22, 2011 – If you are part of a choir and you’d like to sing at World Youth Day, you can sign up for the WYD International Youth Choir.

This is your opportunity to help out with the songs at the main events of WYD!

The requirements for the choir are:
-    it must have at least 20 people
-    members must be under age 35
-    members must be in Madrid starting August 14 to rehearse
-    all members must be registered as WYD Madrid 2011 pilgrims.
The requirements and registration forms can be found at this link: Terms and Registration.

The WYD International Youth Choir will be formed by the choirs selected and is expected to have up to 6,000 members who will help encourage all those attending WYD to participate in the songs sung by the faithful.

coros_2“This initiative is part of the effort we’re making to unite the quality and participation we’re striving for in the music at the main events,” said Pedro Alfaro, Director of the WYD Choir and Orchestra.

Also, in recent months, many choirs from around the world have taken great interest in finding out how they can participate… Are you going to let this opportunity go by?

Terms and Registration

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20 Things You Didn’t Know About Madrid

July 1, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Puerta de Alcala

Going to Madrid for WYD 2011?  Here are some helpful/insightful/interesting facts about the city that may be useful.  Enjoy!

  • The name Madrid comes from the Arabic “magerit” which means ‘place of many streams’.
  • Madrid’s official symbol of the bear on its hind legs eating berries from the madroño tree is a metaphor for Madrid’s growth and represents possession and ownership of wood which is necessary for constructing buildings.
  • The main international airport serving the city of Madrid is Madrid-Barajas Airport. This is the tenth busiest airport in the entire world, and the largest and busiest in all of Spain.  Madrid-Barajas Airport serves as one end of the Madrid-Barcelona route which is routinely ranked as the busiest air route in the world.
  • Madrileños are often called “Gatos” (cats) not because of their late sleeping habits similar to cats, but because of the historical legend where during the Arabic invasion, an adept soldier climbed the outer walls of the city with the agility of a cat; after which, his family assumed the name of Gato.
  • Public transports in Madrid include metro, buses and taxis. Consisting of about 12 metro lines and more than 200 metro stations, Madrid has the second largest metro network in Europe. Metro is widely used in Madrid and so are buses. Tickets available in Madrid for metro and buses include Single Ticket costing 1 EUR and 10-journey ticket the price of which ranges from 5 EUR to 8 EUR.
  • Taking the bus is by far the cheapest way of transportation. You can get a city bus ride for only €0,95 and if you buy a card where you can buy prepaid rides for they are only €0,59. Taking the bus from city to city is far cheaper than travelling by train, e.g., the busride of 6 hours from Malaga to Madrid is approximately 20 euros while a train can cost up to an astonishing 150 euros. Taxis are reasonably priced; a 5 minute city ride costs around 3 euro.
  • Getting around Madrid by taxi is quite an interesting experience. Downtown Madrid has them aplenty, as long as the sun is shining. But if you are trying to get a taxi in a downpour, you may not succeed easily. Madrid’s taxicab drivers apparently have no great faith in their vehicles ability to protect from the rain and therefore will promptly vanish from the streets!
  • Be prepared to sweat if you come in the height of summer, the highest recorded temperature in Madrid was 42.2°C (that’s 108°F) although humidity is generally low. The average High temperature for August is 32°C (90°F), and the average low is 16°C (61°F).  Madrid recieves an average of 431 mm (17 inches) of rain each year.
  • Madrid enjoys more cloudless days than almost any other city in Europe-about 250 days per year. (Be sure to bring your sunscreen!)
  • Emergency numbers: They are all toll-free. General emergency services 112. Ambulance 061. Fire service 080. National police 091 (this number is used when there is serious trouble). Municipal police 092. Civil guard 062.
  • in most of Spain the siesta is honoured, but the hours differ between regions. Stores open around 9am and close around one for the siesta, stores then open again around 5pm. More to the south the the stores open later and therefore the siesta starts around half past 2pm.
  • Spanish people aren’t used to big tips, you can just leave a few coins and they are already more than happy with you.
  • The Royal Palace of Madrid is a large and impressive building.  It is filled with many great and rare treasures including weapons, paintings, sculptures, jewels, and important royal belongings.  The Royal Palace of Madrid is also the only place in the world where visitors can find a complete Stradivarius string quartet.
  • The site regarded by many as the home of bullfighting in Spain is the Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas, or more commonly, Las Ventas.  This arena has a seating capacity of approximately 25,000 people and has an unusual pricing structure for guests coming to watch the events held there.  Like normally in other venues, lower seating that is closer to the action is more expensive.  There is also a premium though placed on seats, regardless of their level, that are in the shade during the time of the event.
  • Madrid has three art galleries in close proximity called the Golden Triangle, they consist of the Prado which has four thousand works of art including Botticelli, El Bosco, Velazquez and Goya. The Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza features works by Renoir and Van Eyck. The Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia completes the triangle, this gallery houses twentieth century Spanish art including Guernica by Picasso.

    Almudena Cathedral

  • If you have never visited a real flea market, consider the El Rastro which is open on Sundays for a great first-time experience with its array of odd objects right from junk to rare findings and paintings.
  • The Royal Tapestry Factory at Madrid makes intricate, expensive and gorgeous tapestries which are usually based on cartoons by Goya and his brother-in-law Francisco Bayeu. Goya’s originals have been displayed at the prestigious Prado.
  • Surprisingly, Madrid is a great place for animal lovers: the city has a well stocked zoo which has four rare giant pandas from China and that Australian favourite, Koala bears. It also has a safari park that offers daily lion taming displays as well as the usual monkeys, giraffes and zebras.
  • The patron saint of Spain is Saint James (Santiago)
  • Almudena Cathedral is the cathedral of Madrid, Spain. Dating from the late 19th and 20th centuries, Almudena Cathedral is very new by European standards, and its traditional-meets-modern design reflects its youth.

We hope these facts assist you in planning your visit to Madrid! Stay tuned to WYD Central for even more information as we get closer to WYD 2011. And may the Blessed Virgin Mary

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