World Youth Day pilgrims are everywhere but Sydney ………

A report in The Sydney Morning Herald says that if you are wondering where all the World Youth Day pilgrims are, the answer is: everywhere but Sydney…..for now, at least.

As the flow of pilgrims into Sydney remained at a trickle, other cities welcomed thousands yesterday. World Youth Day begins officially on Tuesday.

At Melbourne’s St Patrick’s Cathedral thousands were packed tightly, many draped in their national flags and insignia like football fans, as Archbishop Denis Hart delivered a welcome liturgy.

The reason? Traditionally, in the days before World Youth Day, overseas pilgrims are offered the opportunity to experience the hospitality, culture and spirituality of local churches outside the host city.

Melbourne is hosting the lion’s share of 21,000 pilgrims, kicking off four days of festivities with a welcoming ceremony yesterday at St Patrick’s Cathedral. Another 10,000 pilgrims are headed to Brisbane, more than 4000 are detouring to New Zealand, and Canberra is hosting a festival day for another 10,000 pilgrims.

Sydney’s neighbouring diocese of Broken Bay is hosting 1850, and coming events include a two-day festival that includes workshops on social justice issues, live bands and a CD launch featuring local songwriters. Maitland-Newcastle will host up to 4000 young people from 30 countries including Botswana, Colombia, Ecuador, France, Malaysia, Monaco, Taiwan and the United Arab Emirates.

Pilgrims will begin converging on Sydney from Monday, the day Pope Benedict XVI arrives.

At St Mary’s Cathedral, the scaffolding is gone and the workmen are slowly packing up.

Europe has many sacred Catholic sites, whereas Sydney has but tw St Mary’s Cathedral and Mary MacKillop Chapel.

On its busiest days next week during the influx of pilgrims for World Youth Day, St Mary’s, Australia’s oldest cathedral, is expecting 4000 visitors an hour. Most of the 100,000 overseas pilgrims are expected to visit.

Father David Toups from the diocese of St Petersburg, Florida, spent a time of prayerful reflection in the cathedral on his first day in Sydney.  Next to him in the pew was his distinctive red pilgrim’s backpack.

With eight seminarians he will man a booth at the World Youth Day Expo. “It is what a cathedral is meant to be, a place that elevates the mind and soul … ” Across the aisle was Katie Mojica, a music teacher from California: “The cathedral is beautiful, in particular the lighting.”

On Saturday week bell-ringers will summon 3400 guests, Sydney clergy, parish leaders, seminarians and schoolchildren when St Mary’s Cathedral will host its first papal Mass, during which Pope Benedict XVI will dedicate its new white marble altar.

The arrival of the relics of the Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati yesterday afternoon, and the unveiling of a picture of Our Lady of the Southern Cross, a uniquely Australian depiction of the madonna and child, signals the beginning of the official World Youth Day pilgrimage to St Mary’s Cathedral.

Thousands are expected to venerate Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, one of the 10 official patrons of World Youth Day.  He was beatified in 1990 by Pope John Paul II.  His coffin has been placed in the gated Sacred Heart chapel at the western side of the church and will be on display until July 22.

A Report by The Mole from The Sydney Morning Herald