Friday, July 11, 2008

World Youth Day 2008 in Sydney

If you are here attending World Youth Day 2008, please do not read any further... you are in the wrong place, bless your hearts. And actually, if you are an easily offended, devout Catholic you may want to go in peace now too--Shabbat Shalom my friends.

The rest of you-- carry on...

Next week is World Youth Day in Sydney--- but it looks like World Youth Day is more like World Youth Week.

One thing I've noticed about Sydney is that most events, festivals, large scale festivities are not hugely promoted-- it's like they're all on done on the down-low. So even though there was a church sporting a digital count down clock to the big event (WYD) on it for the last year in the middle of the city-- World Youth Day 2008 has just snuck up on the locals and is taking over.



In anticipation of the expected 300,000 people, many streets downtown will be closed off next week, and there will be no parking allowed throughout most of the city, and they've put out the word (as quietly as they do that here) that you should use public transportation if you want to be downtown. My preschool is closing early all week, so you won't be caught in the midst of the crowds.



I'm all thinkin'...
Concerts, parties, a bunch of wild kids-- right? Sounds like World Youth Day to me. Schwing baby, bring it on. Of course I'm not going, but I support and envy the lucky people who do get some full on sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll.

Guess who's a dumbass-- oh, you're right-- it's me.

Guess who the guest of honor for World Youth Day is-- it's the Pope! Yippie.

And guess what the festivities schedule looks like--

Tuesday 15 July 2008





Wednesday 16 July

Thursday 17 July 2008

  • 9.00am-12.00pm Catechesis (teaching) sessions at over 250 locations across Sydney (for registered pilgrims)
  • 2.45pm Papal Boat-a-cade on Sydney Harbour
  • 3.30pm-4.30pm Papal Arrival at Barangaroo
  • 4.30pm-5.30pm Papal Motorcade through Sydney CBD streets
  • Youth Festival events

Friday 18 July 2008

  • 9.00am-12.00pm Catechesis (teaching) sessions at over 250 locations across Sydney (for registered pilgrims)
  • 3.00-6.00pm Stations of the Cross - a re-enactment of the last moments of Jesus' life: St Mary's Cathedral, Barangaroo, Darling Harbour, Sydney Opera House Forecourt, Domain
  • Youth Festival events

Saturday 19 July 2008

  • From 5.30am Pilgrimage walk across the Sydney Harbour Bridge to Randwick Racecourse (for registered pilgrims)
  • 7.00pm-9.00pm Evening Vigil with the Pope and sleep out under the stars at Southern Cross Precinct (Randwick Racecourse and Centennial Park)

Sunday 20 July 2008

  • 9am, Papal flyover and motorcade through Southern Cross Precinct (Randwick Racecourse and Centennial Park)
  • 10am, Final Mass celebrated by the Pope, Southern Cross Precinct (Randwick Racecourse and Centennial Park)
  • 12.30pm-5pm Youth Festival events at Southern Cross Precinct (Randwick Racecourse and Centennial Park)

Hmmm, guess they won't be fighting off the Girls Gone Wild crew from this party, right?

As for me, I needed a little Jesus right about now anyways. I even got my hair done today, maybe I'll run into the Pope during all this and he can see how much better my skin looks when I'm really, really blonde.

Activities for everyone else, not participating in World Youth Day:
  1. Fortunately for all of us, the radio station who invented the Gravy Chip is having a Jesus look-a-like contest with a $1000 prize for the winner. Sweet.
  2. Did you notice the Pope will be doing a "Papal-boat-a-cade". That really rocks my world. I am hoping to catch a glimpse of that from my house!



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14 comments:

Unknown said...

So funny I love it. I was ignorant as well... and thought WYD was a cool big charity even to save the children of the world. I thought there could be cool musical acts, events, etc...

Nope...

Just church and mass and holy stuff. Catholic church for that matter, and I'm not Catholic. Needless to say, I'll be avoiding the city.

SuperMindy said...

World youth day my ass.. sounds more like World old people gather around and see the pope and pray while the locals lives are ripped apart and disrupted week

this is crap.

.. said...

World Yute Day...What is a yute?

Unknown said...

haha love this post! Its all so true. You have a great writing style!

Marvin said...

Hmmmmm. I didn't realize there were that many Catholics in Australia. The Pope came to Denver in the early 1990s, before I got there, and apparently it was a madhouse in the state park right near my future apartment. Mass hysteria. I'm sure the Aussies will be more cool about the whole thing. ;-)

Anonymous said...

World Youth Day sucks donkey balls in my humble opinion... for months now we've been getting emails at work about trying to find "other locations" to work at all week. And this week the papers were saying "all commuters should leave the city by 3pm on Thursday and Friday." Riiiight... how the heck are we supposed to work!?!?? I think it's ridiculous everyone has to have their normals lives come to a halt because the Pope's in town. This is even worse than APEC!

Can you tell I'm annoyed? ;)

Laura said...

Elsja, Minda, Natasha-- I know-- this really is crap. Why didn't they pick Rome??? Our preschool is also closing early 3 days next week so we won't be mauled by the wild Catholic crowds--ha ha.

Ty- What is a Yute? Did I write that? Why are you such a psychic?

Marvin- I hope there is no mass hysteria here-- oh, that's a double meaning-ed MASS hysteria-- get it?

Rinniez- I love your blog too-- and I am going to do red day with my kids since there's no longer any color blind issues here.

Corrina said...

Uh, wow. Are ya sure it's not World Put Youth To Sleep day? I fell asleep reading the itinerary! LOL That's just waaayyy too much rockin' excitement for me.

Oh yeah and I, too, would like to know what a "yute" is. Thanks!

Dina Roberts said...

Why DIDN'T they pick Rome????

Anonymous said...

CLASSIC! A Boat-a-cade! Woohoo! Wonder if he's going to have the "Popeboat!"-ya know, like the popemobile!

oh, and they didn't pick Rome because they like to "vary the location."

You should have seen Yankee Stadium.

Yeah, that's why I stay in my little East Podunk area here where nothign happens.

Laura said...

Does it say "yute" somewhere and I'm missing it???
Yep, how about bore a bunch of people to death day?

Unknown said...

Argh World Youth Day people are EVERYWHERE... they invaded canberra today! Big groups of people singing in languages i didnt recognise about what i assumed was god! I had a lady approach me and tell me "god had a gift for me" and she handed me a brochure for world youth day??? some gift!

Laura said...

Wow Rinniez, weird chanting in secret languages, and so-called gifts-- awesome.

Dina Roberts said...

Rinniez

Oh man!

See? I knew I needed to be in Australia.

I'm missing out on my gifts from God.

I'm flying to Sydney tomorrow.