World Youth Day 2008 - a work-in-progress

In view of the upcoming World Youth Day (WYD) in 2008, which will be held in Sydney, Australia, KDZ (Kummissjoni Djocesana Zghazagh, Diocesan Youth Commission) is working on a number of initiatives directed at youth and youth organisations to encourage young people to attend to this mega-event.

The first of these new services is an eNewsletter, which is now available to the public. Its purpose is to inform young people and all those interested about WYD and the preparations being made both on a national and international level.

WYD originated when Pope John Paul II dedicated Palm Sunday to youth. Each year the Pope issues a message to youth. Every two or three years, during the summer months, a larger celebration is held where young people are invited to travel to the country where WYD celebrations take place; last year's was held in Cologne, Germany. The next WYD will take place between July 15 and 20, 2008, in Sydney.

WYD is actually a pilgrimage of young people and a festival of encounter with other young people from all over the world. WYD is a celebration of faith, an invitation to young people to discover and deepen their faith in Christ and to discover that the Church is a worldwide community. WYD is a festival of music and dance, and every other activity that represents the energy and spirit present in youth. Finally, WYD is an experience of peace and friendship, which break all boundaries of race, language and culture.

Although the WYD logistics vary every time, the basic structure is the same. Celebrations are spread over one week. In the first few days, young people are encouraged to attend spiritual gatherings, festivals, Mass, sports, concerts as well as the welcome ceremony for the Pope. The whole city is bursting with activity.

On Saturday, the young pilgrims travel to the place where the closing celebrations will take place and in the evening a night vigil is held, followed by the closing Mass and celebrations with the Pope. Young people are also encouraged to make an experience with a hosting community prior the WYD celebrations.

WYD 2008 will be no different. Great preparations are being made for this huge event. The hosting nation, with the help of the government, is doing its utmost to ensure a smooth and successful organisation of the event.

KDZ's role in this is to co-ordinate WYD preparations on a diocesan level. It does this by keeping in contact with Maltese organisations interested in taking up a group of youths to WYD and plan meetings to help prepare pilgrims spiritually and logistically for WYD.

Also, KDZ will be taking a group of young people to Australia in 2008; all those aged 18 to 35 may apply to join the group. It will keep the public informed of what is being prepared for WYD.

Its eNewsletter will be issued every two months and is free of charge. It will contain details about WYD in general, what is happening in Australia and Malta regarding WYD preparations and also some spiritual thoughts and passages taken from previous WYD messages and themes.

The first issue of the eNewsletter is a special edition as it contains a brief description on WYD in general. That is, what WYD is, what happened last year during WYD in Cologne and what is KDZ's role in WYD 2008.

Later editions will contain more specific details and updates on the preparations for WYD, such as, the WYD programme and logo prepared by the Australian diocese, new services offered by KDZ in relation to WYD, and other insights of the preparations.

Anyone interested in receiving this eNewsletter can subscribe by sending an e-mail to wyd@kdz.org.mt, including details (name, surname, mobile and e-mail address).