The End Is Near

With Friday comes the shift in the WYD schedule.

Our morning routine held the same - breakfast at our hotel around 7:30 am. Then we left by 8:30 to begin weaving our way to the catechetical site. The journey gets more complicated each day due to security for the Pope's arrival later in the day and never knowing which streets might be blocked off.

The catechetical session was fantastic with Cardinal George, from Chicago, providing the talk. Jesse Manibussan was a wonderful addition with his music. The Cardinal took questions for so long (and the line for the "WC" was so long) that Mass was delayed.

After Mass we headed to lunch. Once watered and fed, we went just next door to a grocery store to pick up some groceries for snacks. It is always an adventure to choose snacks abroad. I reminded everyone to stay away from too much salt and to avoid anything that spoils or would melt. Many picked up things like dried fruit, crackers, and cookies. These will supplement the packages of food we are handed tomorrow at the Vigil site. The boxes or bags we are given will contain food for Saturday's lunch and dinner along with Sunday's breakfast and lunch.

Once we finished at the store we had to take a long route to the location we wanted for the Way of the Cross. We settled into a spot and whiled away a couple of hours.

The Way of the Cross was wonderful with statues from throughout Spain that are used in traditional parades during Holy Week.

Yet again, after the Way of the Cross we took the long way back to our hotel. Oh, those long 15 minutes of weaving through the crowds!

We had a quick group discussion in the lobby where I reminded the group of what they need for the Vigil and the Papal Mass - tarps, sleeping bags, bottles for water, things to do during the day, etc.

Now everyone is packing their things for tomorrow as we will leave soon after breakfast so we can walk in the cool of the morning (relatively speaking) and then rest in the heat once we're at the site.

Since we will be in a huge field with 1.5 million others tomorrow night, I won't be posting. Sunday afternoon I hope to do a final post prior to enjoying a short night's sleep before we leave around 2 or 3 am for the airport on Monday!

We Welcomed the Pope

Yet again, the streets are still ringing with the chants, cheers, singing, and general ruckus of the pilgrims finding their way home from the Papal Welcoming ceremony. Our group is so lucky that we can be back in our rooms, cleaned up, and fast asleep long before many groups are even halfway to their lodgings.

This morning began again with a fantastic breakfast and then a walk to our location for the catechetical session. We got a little drizzle on us while we walked, but it wasn't too bad and the sky cleared before we were even halfway to the church.

Our session was a great one with John Angotti providing the music and a wonderful presentation from Cardinal O'Brien from Edinburgh. He had a great message on living our faith and listening to God's call that was highlighted by his warmth and humor.

From the session we headed to lunch and found a great cafe where we had paella. It was a great break from the sandwiches (though those have been far above par too!).

Due to the Papal arrival, we had a tricky time walking back towards where our hotel and sites to sit were. We had to take a circuitous route through a park to then cross near the Prado and finally find a place to sit. However, we got a great set of seats from where we could view one of the mega-screens.

It was only about 3 or 3:30 when we sat down, so we settled in for a bit. I will admit, I napped. Others played cards, caught up in journaling, worked through Soduku puzzles, or chatted. There was of course trading items with those around us. Eventually about 5 kids of one of the volunteers saw the stickers and we quickly became popular with the little ones in the area.

The Papal Welcoming is actually one of the shorter events - just about an hour. The Pope arrives in the famous Pope-mobile and then there is a series of addresses, the Gospel reading, and a short reflection from the Pope.

As the group was already asking if the texts of the speeches and homilies would be available, you can access everything here.

Wednesday

Today was a good day, again.

Our morning began with the catechetical session. Initially it looked like the church wouldn't be too full, then groups kept trickling in. Eventually we had people in the aisles - we were easily over 2,000!

The session was a great presentation on staying firm in the faith by the bishop of Edmonton, Canada. Then we had Mass. I think there were about 5 or 6 bishops, around 15 priests, and then the teens and young adults who did the readings and brought up the gifts. With people from Canada, Ireland, Wales, England, Thailand, and all over the USA, it was a phenomenal experience.

Of coruse, some of the ladies got an even more unique experience by being esorted to the men's room. Our catechetical site is a Jesuit center, so there is only one women's "WC" in the whole building. With roughly 1,000 plus women, this is problematic. Finally the volunteers from WYD made an executive decision to turn one of the men's rooms into a second ladies' room. We were all grateful.

Once the session was done (and the ladies were done with the long line for the restroom), we filled our waterbottles and journeyed forth. We had lunch and then headed for the Prado. A priest from Sterling Heights told us that you couldn't easily get in with your backpack (the bag check was overflowing). Since our hotel was 5 minutes away, we headed back to the hotel to drop backpacks. The ladies brought smaller shoulder bags or purses which were allowed so we had room for our necessary items - meal tickets, identification tags, and so forth.

We spent two hours in the Prado Museum. All of us wish we had about a week longer just to explore that museum. Especially with the crowds and noise, we all would have liked to come back again.

Following the Prado we were going to the Gardens, but there was a fee attached and we didn't feel like the small amount of time we were going to spend there was worth it. Thus, we sallied forth for dinner.

Dinner was simple and we were tired. We returned early so everyone could clean up from the day and rest up for the busy days ahead.

Official Beginnings

We just concluded the Opening Mass - the streets outside my window are ringing still with the chants and general rucus of the pilgrims returning to where they are staying.

Our day began with a fantastic breakfast (parents - I know you'll hear about the food, particularly from the gentlemen in the group). All the group went on a walking tour of the city with my brother. He was quite the tour guide as they journeyed through the nearby gardens, monuments, and parks. They even had enough time to duck into a museum.

Meanwhile I was at the animator's meeting - think Master of Ceremonies. It turns out our pilgrims have some work to do. They will be greeters and general facilitators for some of the activities at our catechetical session.

Once the meeting was done, we managed to meet up at Puerta del Sol. It is no small feat considering the crowds.

Then we continued a walking tour of the city past some monuments, a couple of more plazas, the exterior of the Palace, and the Cathedral.

Next, we took a siesta at our hotel. With the heat and the need to refill our water bottles, it was a good rest for us all.

We then headed to a shady spot for the Opening Mass. We camped out for about 3 hours prior and then Mass began at 8. We perfected just the right position to hold our radios in order to get a clear signal of the English translation. Once Mass ended, the police had some barricades up to help have a proper flow of foot and motor traffic. This meant we had to take the long way to our hotel - it took all of 15 minutes to walk home. It was difficult, but we managed somehow.

Now we are all cleaning up a bit, drinking another bottle or two of water and heading to sleep for another busy day in Madrid tomorrow. After another equally fabulous breakfast!

We're Here!

It is a beautiful evening in Madrid. Even though the online weather tells me it is 95 out, it felt nicer than Rome since it is a drier heat. While I know we will bake in the sun, it is nice to not have the humidity.

Despite the sun and wonderful weather, we all are tucked away in our rooms early tonight. I had the pleasure of waking up at 1:45 am to get myself ready and then got the kids and other adults up by 2:15 (side note, as it is now 8:30 pm here, there is a clock tower somewhere nearby that has beautiful chimes that note each quarter hour).

Amazingly, we were all set and in the lobby of our hotel on time for our 3 am departure. Our flights took us through Munich and we had no problems.

Last night before dinner I warned all the group about the chaos to expect and how we needed to be prepared. Well, I was wrong. Instead of five hours of transportation confusion, we were picked up from the airport immediately upon landing and at our hotel less than an hour after our plan touched down.

The group took a short break then. Inistially I gave it to them to rest for a bit or shower. However, most explored their rooms. Our hotel is wonderful and the kids particularly are thrilled. I never knew bathrobes and lotion could fascinate to such a degree.

The group gathered and talked for about 15 mintues while three of us went down to another hotel (all of 200 or so feet away) to get the back packs from our travel group. I walked the group through the contents of their bags including the three most important items: the tags, the meal tickets, and the transportation ticket.

Once we had our new goodies (the bags contained many more items, but as I desperately need some sleep, I'll save that for tomorrow), we took half an hour for the group to get themselves ready for dinner. As our meal tickets are only good at certain restaurants and we wanted to eat earlier than normal for the city, we struggled at first to find somewhere to eat. Thankfully we found a very helpful gentleman to assist us - a Californian who has been living here for the last 15 years. He walked us through several blocks and was definitely a huge help.

Eventually we found Puerta del Sol. There, a major intersection of transportation (buses, metro, etc.) were several simple options. We were excited by one where we got three half sandwhiches, a cesar salad, soda, and ice cream!

Once all finsihed eating and had their ice cream, we returned to the hotel where (I suspect) most are finding their way to an early bed time - some of the group looked like we might have to carry them to the hotel.

That's all for now from Madrid. Stay tuned for more!

Last Day In Rome

Yesterday was a day our group will never forget. Will will likely never forget how many stairs they climed!

Over the course of just a few hours, the group went to the highest point a person can reach at St. Peter's down to the lowest.

We began our day by leaving the hotel at 7 am. All this was to ensure we could spend enough time in St. Peter's Basilica prior to our tour of the Scavi. A last minute decision resulted in our group choosing to go up to the cupola.

The experience was incredible. There were views from the interior and the exterior that took your breath away - if you had any left after the climb!

Once we began our journey down we made a few interesting discoveries - on the roof of St. Peter's you can find bathrooms, a gift shop, and even food!

Finally we made it back to solid ground and spent time in the basilica. Next up was the excursion to find the Scavi Office. Once we had gone through more security and gotten directions from a couple of Swiss Guards, we were set.

The Scavi tour was almost overwhelming. There was so much information to learn and so much to see. Plus everyone was in desperate need of the chance to sit and drink water. However, it was an incredible thing to see.

Finally we emerged back above ground and the group made a bee line across the square to find some shade and places to sit among the columns. We filled our bottles with the wonderful water you can find coming out of spigots all over the city. It comes in from the aqueducts.

Once we rested and rehydrated, we were suddenly aware that we were hungry. We went to a restaurant for a bite of lunch and then made plans for the day. A couple of pairs split off to do their own exploration. Most headed down the street from St. Peter's Square to San Angelo. From there we went to the Piazza Navona where we enjoyed some gelato and the work of many artists who sell their paintings and drawings in the square. At that point we headed to Piazza del Popolo and then on to the Metro. Yet again, we tired our group out!

Today we go to Assisi. I will try to post when we return as I doubt I will get the chance to post tomorrow morning. Our flight leaves at about 6 am so we head to the airport around 3:30 am. I doubt I will get up with the extra time to post tomorrow morning!

Friday in Rome

Yesterday was a long day for us all - while we returned to the hotel by about 6:30, all were worn out from the long walk and many experiences.

After an early breakfast we headed out to the Metro station and journeyed to St. John Lateran. We spent over an hour at the basilica where we had time to both marvel at the art and architecture and spend time in prayer and reflection.

From there we walked down the street to St. Clements. Some were skeptical of the stop as the building does not look very promising from the exterior. However, they all bought their 5 Euro ticket and headed down the stairs to the excavation. Then they were pleased. The street level church was built in the 11th Century. However, below it is the 4th century church and the 1st century Mithraic temple and Christian house church the current church was built on. Everyone really enjoyed the journey into the cool, damp excavation.

Once we all had found our way back to the surface, we headed to St. Peter in Chains. Since it was getting late in the day, we only spent about 20 minutes there so everyone still had a chance to see the chains of Peter and the sculpture of Moses by Michelangelo.

From St. Peter in Chains we took a route past some other archeological sites to the Pantheon area. We began with lunch at Miscellanea and then spent some time in the Pantheon itself. As it was now quite warm and we thought a treat in order, we all had some excellent gelato from Della Palma.

After cooling off with the gelato we headed to the Trevi Fountain as we journeyed to the Capuchin Crypt. The Trevi was packed, so it was mostly a photo opportunity if you could squeeze your way through the crowds.

The Capuchin Crypt got mixed reviews - some were bothered by the creepiness factor while others found it simply fascinating. The response was much of what I expected.

Next we walked the short ways to the Spanish Steps. We spent about 45 minutes in the area. Initially we were going to stay longer or walk to the Borghese Gardens, but everyone was pretty tired so we headed back to our hotel via the Metro.

Once we all got back, most everyone enjoyed showers and a few even napped. We had dinner at 8:30 and people settled fairly quickly into their rooms for the night.

Today we eat breakfast in a few moments (6:30 am) and then leave by 7 am so we can see St. Peter's prior to going to the Scavi tour.