Dear readers,
I just would like to take a moment to sum up our travel day yesterday, and thank all of you for your prayers for us. There is no doubt in my mind that we would not have fared so well had you not been storming heaven for us.
We got up early yesterday morning and had breakfast at 6:30 am, followed by a 7:20 departure for Madrid's Barajas airport. Our flight to JFK in New York actually landed about 45 minutes early! Everyone got their luggage and we proceeded through passport control and US Customs without difficulty.
As we were awaiting our flight to Boston, we noticed that our seats in the airport were moving - in fact the whole airport was moving! As you know, we were experiencing the 5.8 earthquake that hit Virginia at around 1:50 yesterday afternoon. Although we had some tense moments with flights being delayed as they evacuated and then checked out the control towers, we eventually did take off and landed at Boston at about 4:30 pm. Some families came and picked up their pilgrims directly at Logan, while others still had a couple of hours of transportation until they were reunited with their families.
Before we left Madrid we had a chance to share with one another what the pilgrimage experience meant to us, recognizing that we still hadn't had time to really process it all. The sharing from both young people and adults was truly beautiful. We were really privileged to have a very faithfilled group of young people with us who were open to the work of God in their hearts. The experience touched each of us uniquely - but I think I can say that we all grew in our relationship with Christ, our love for the Church and our Holy Father, and our trust in God's providential care.
God bless all of you!
Joy
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Monday - Free day in Madrid
Hola!
Buenos dias from Alexandra! My last day in Spain was really great! We started off with a group breakfast before splitting into smaller groups to relax and enjoy Madrid. I went with a small group (Mikey, Jay, Carolina, and Fr. Paul) to play frisbee golf in the park, eat suckling pig at Plaza Mayor, and top it off with a Ben and Jerry's Banana Royal sundae at El Corte Ingles. There was Mass at the hotel before dinner at Gino's. After supper we stopped at VIPS (our favorite convenience store that sells 2 liter sodas and water for 2 euro) and we played "Werewolf" together back at the hotel.
While the World Youth Day events were amazing, they were tiring. I really loved speiding the day relaxing. I will miss Spain immensely, and its people more so.
Buenos dias from Alexandra! My last day in Spain was really great! We started off with a group breakfast before splitting into smaller groups to relax and enjoy Madrid. I went with a small group (Mikey, Jay, Carolina, and Fr. Paul) to play frisbee golf in the park, eat suckling pig at Plaza Mayor, and top it off with a Ben and Jerry's Banana Royal sundae at El Corte Ingles. There was Mass at the hotel before dinner at Gino's. After supper we stopped at VIPS (our favorite convenience store that sells 2 liter sodas and water for 2 euro) and we played "Werewolf" together back at the hotel.
While the World Youth Day events were amazing, they were tiring. I really loved speiding the day relaxing. I will miss Spain immensely, and its people more so.
Monday, August 22, 2011
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Papal Mass
We woke up sunday morning at varying hours, ate breakfast, and picked up our sleeping bags in preparation for the Papal Mass. It was very exciting to be able to see Pope Benedict VI in the pope mobile and he even drove within five feet of us! The Mass was beautiful and it was amazing for me to be able to attend a Mass said by the Pope however due to the weather conditions of the night before we could not recieve the Eucharist. At the end of Mass Pope Benedict XVI blessed our religious items. After Mass we ate our lunch, traded some items and got in line to leave. We were a little concerned about our journey back to the hotel since the temperatures yesterday reached about 110 F and today at least 104 F. The only thing which makes this heat bearable is that the humidity is low. Some of us took taxis and others walked the long way to a working bus stop. After we all took our much needed showers we all gathered in Fr. Paul's room for Mass. For dinner we went to a restaurant named La Camocha and had a huge meal of tapas (many small finger foods brought out one by one). Some of the food items were more exotic such as octopus.
Tonight most of our group is attending the "Gracias" futbol (soccer) match at Vincente Calderon stadium. As we are updating the blog we have had the local news on, and we saw several of our pilgrims cheering and having a great time on the tv!
Tomorrow is our free day - we will go off with chaperones to a variety of activities or sites in Madrid.
Hasta Luego,
Rebecca A. and Joy
Tonight most of our group is attending the "Gracias" futbol (soccer) match at Vincente Calderon stadium. As we are updating the blog we have had the local news on, and we saw several of our pilgrims cheering and having a great time on the tv!
Tomorrow is our free day - we will go off with chaperones to a variety of activities or sites in Madrid.
Hasta Luego,
Rebecca A. and Joy
Friday - Saturday Pilgrim recap
Hola family and friends,
We write to you with freshly cleaned bodies, encouraging you to think twice before spending the night on an airfield in Madrid with 2 million other people!
We're going to start off by remembering what we did on Friday, and then bring you through the weekend. Friday we went to catechesis at a Dominican church and heard Cardinal O'Malley give a catechesis. We had Mass there, and then we went to lunch at the Museo de Jamon. SO much meat!!!
After lunch we went to the vocations fair at the Parque de Buen Retiro, where we got lots of information and free things. We tried to walk on a tight-rope between two trees....it was hard!
After the vocations fair some of the pilgrims returned to old Madrid to buy religious articles for family and friends at home, while others went back to the hotel and napped or went in the sauna.
Friday night we watched the Stations of the Cross from our hotel room, praying them together. It was very beautiful and special because one of the Pasos (depictions of the Passion) came from Zamora.
Saturday morning about 1/2 of the group walked 10 kilometers to the airfield and 1/2 took the metro most of the way to the Cuatro Vientos airfield and then walked about 2-3 km. When we arrived at Cuatro Vientos we set up our sleeping area and then sat in the blazing sun at temperatures of 45 degrees celsius for almost 8 hours!!! It was so hot that the Madrid firemen came around with their trucks to spray people periodically. Our location was great because we were quite close to the stage area. Besides the heat, there were locusts (maybe grasshoppers) that were jumping all over everyone!
The weather at the vigil started out fine - but we noticed a large cloud forming. At first we were happy because it blocked the sun, but it developed during the vigil into a thunderstorm with high winds, heavy rain and hail! The heavens opened and poured out water on all of us! The Holy Father had to be covered with several umbrellas and the vigil was put on hold until everyone prayed for the rain to stop - which it did! We were able to continue with Eucharistic Adoration. After the vigil we all tried to sleep in our sleeping bags on the field. Some of us put our sleeping bags on ant hills - so we slept with them all night. JR had it better...maybe...he slept with two huge (5 inch long!!) centipedes!!
More on Sunday to come..
Carolina and Rebecca
We write to you with freshly cleaned bodies, encouraging you to think twice before spending the night on an airfield in Madrid with 2 million other people!
We're going to start off by remembering what we did on Friday, and then bring you through the weekend. Friday we went to catechesis at a Dominican church and heard Cardinal O'Malley give a catechesis. We had Mass there, and then we went to lunch at the Museo de Jamon. SO much meat!!!
After lunch we went to the vocations fair at the Parque de Buen Retiro, where we got lots of information and free things. We tried to walk on a tight-rope between two trees....it was hard!
After the vocations fair some of the pilgrims returned to old Madrid to buy religious articles for family and friends at home, while others went back to the hotel and napped or went in the sauna.
Friday night we watched the Stations of the Cross from our hotel room, praying them together. It was very beautiful and special because one of the Pasos (depictions of the Passion) came from Zamora.
Saturday morning about 1/2 of the group walked 10 kilometers to the airfield and 1/2 took the metro most of the way to the Cuatro Vientos airfield and then walked about 2-3 km. When we arrived at Cuatro Vientos we set up our sleeping area and then sat in the blazing sun at temperatures of 45 degrees celsius for almost 8 hours!!! It was so hot that the Madrid firemen came around with their trucks to spray people periodically. Our location was great because we were quite close to the stage area. Besides the heat, there were locusts (maybe grasshoppers) that were jumping all over everyone!
The weather at the vigil started out fine - but we noticed a large cloud forming. At first we were happy because it blocked the sun, but it developed during the vigil into a thunderstorm with high winds, heavy rain and hail! The heavens opened and poured out water on all of us! The Holy Father had to be covered with several umbrellas and the vigil was put on hold until everyone prayed for the rain to stop - which it did! We were able to continue with Eucharistic Adoration. After the vigil we all tried to sleep in our sleeping bags on the field. Some of us put our sleeping bags on ant hills - so we slept with them all night. JR had it better...maybe...he slept with two huge (5 inch long!!) centipedes!!
More on Sunday to come..
Carolina and Rebecca
Friday, August 19, 2011
Friday
Dear friends,
We had another busy day today, and are busy gearing up now for our big walk to Cuatro Vientos for the Pope's Vigil and Mass. We will spend tomorrow (Saturday) sleeping under the stars.
Today we went to catechesis on the other side of town with Cardinal O'Malley and then had Mass with him. After that we had lunch at the Museo de Jamon (it was very good!) and then went to Retiro Park for the Vocations Fair.
This evening we watched and prayed the Stations of the Cross from our hotel room. We will be leaving early tomorrow morning for our hike to the site of the vigil and Mass. For those that are hiking the whole way, it will be about 6 miles. Others are taking the metro part of the way and hiking the rest. Chaperones are split about 50/50.
That's all for now - we will update Sunday after our return. Please pray for us!
Joy
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Friday morning
Hi Everyone,
Just wanted to explain the brevity of our blog posts. We have been out, going to catechesis, praying at various churches, and walking a lot all day, every day. The meal schedule in the Spanish culture is such that we often eat our supper at 11 pm!!! So, by the time we return to the hotel to blog we are just too tired to write too much. I am hoping we have a little more time this evening.
Today we are heading out to a local church for catechesis and then Mass. After that we will find a place for lunch. For those of you who may have been familiar with meals in previous WYD's, it is completely different here. Instead of having meal tickets which are redeemed at spots around town for pickup, we were issued vouchers to be used at restaurants in Madrid. At first glance that sounds promising.... but..... the reality is that there are just too few restaurants that are participating in the program so by the time we reach them they are generally very full of pilgrims which necessitates long waits. The good news is that the food has generally been pretty good, although choices are limited (or non-existent). BUT, we are pilgrims and no one is complaining. We are all so grateful for the food that we are given, and are reminded that there are many in this world who have to wait for inadequate or even unsafe food every day.
Another reminder about how blessed we are as Americans came for some of us on the metro yesterday when we were riding with pilgrims from Iraq. They shared a little with us about how difficult it is to be a Christian there - but mostly emanated joy at being able to be at WYD, celebrating their faith in Jesus Christ.
Tonight is the Stations of the Cross. We are not yet sure how we will view this - it might be from our hotel television as we all need a little rest this evening before our pilgrimage walk to Cuatro Vientos and the Papal Vigil and Mass this weekend!
More later from the pilgrims!
Joy
Just wanted to explain the brevity of our blog posts. We have been out, going to catechesis, praying at various churches, and walking a lot all day, every day. The meal schedule in the Spanish culture is such that we often eat our supper at 11 pm!!! So, by the time we return to the hotel to blog we are just too tired to write too much. I am hoping we have a little more time this evening.
Today we are heading out to a local church for catechesis and then Mass. After that we will find a place for lunch. For those of you who may have been familiar with meals in previous WYD's, it is completely different here. Instead of having meal tickets which are redeemed at spots around town for pickup, we were issued vouchers to be used at restaurants in Madrid. At first glance that sounds promising.... but..... the reality is that there are just too few restaurants that are participating in the program so by the time we reach them they are generally very full of pilgrims which necessitates long waits. The good news is that the food has generally been pretty good, although choices are limited (or non-existent). BUT, we are pilgrims and no one is complaining. We are all so grateful for the food that we are given, and are reminded that there are many in this world who have to wait for inadequate or even unsafe food every day.
Another reminder about how blessed we are as Americans came for some of us on the metro yesterday when we were riding with pilgrims from Iraq. They shared a little with us about how difficult it is to be a Christian there - but mostly emanated joy at being able to be at WYD, celebrating their faith in Jesus Christ.
Tonight is the Stations of the Cross. We are not yet sure how we will view this - it might be from our hotel television as we all need a little rest this evening before our pilgrimage walk to Cuatro Vientos and the Papal Vigil and Mass this weekend!
More later from the pilgrims!
Joy
Wednesday and Thursday in Madrid pictures
Outside the Palacio Real
Chocolate con churros - delicious!
Morning Mass at the Love and Life Center - a center for English speaking pilgrims co-sponsored by the Knights of Columbus and the Sisters of Life.
Arrival at Plaza Colon for the papal welcoming ceremony.
Chocolate con churros - delicious!
Morning Mass at the Love and Life Center - a center for English speaking pilgrims co-sponsored by the Knights of Columbus and the Sisters of Life.
Arrival at Plaza Colon for the papal welcoming ceremony.
Yes, Rebecca is quite brave!!
Viva Papa-The Pope's Arrival
Today, the Pope finally arrived in the city! Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims from every area of the world gathered to capture a glimpse of the Holy Father. We left to claim a spot in the Plaza de Cologne in the afternoon. Luckily, we found an area with a good view of a jumbo-tron, which helped us follow the Pope as he traveled in the city.
When he first arrived, the crowd was full of energy, and everyone was shouting chants in their own language. Representatives offered the Holy Father gifts from their home counties, such as flowers from Japan and bananas from the African countries. Looking across the crowd and seeing all flags being waved was truly inspiring; it is so amazing to think that even though we are so different in culture and tradition, we are all united by our Faith in Jesus Christ.
The Pope thanked all pilgrims in different languages for our journey to Madrid. We look forward to his presence in this city for the rest of our pilgrimage!
Matthew 18:20
Rebecca M & Rebecca K
When he first arrived, the crowd was full of energy, and everyone was shouting chants in their own language. Representatives offered the Holy Father gifts from their home counties, such as flowers from Japan and bananas from the African countries. Looking across the crowd and seeing all flags being waved was truly inspiring; it is so amazing to think that even though we are so different in culture and tradition, we are all united by our Faith in Jesus Christ.
The Pope thanked all pilgrims in different languages for our journey to Madrid. We look forward to his presence in this city for the rest of our pilgrimage!
Matthew 18:20
Rebecca M & Rebecca K
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Wednesday, 17th
Dear Friends and Family in the United States,
Thank you for your prayers, they are helping. Today our group focused on the spiritual side of this trip by starting the day with mass, then continuing to Adoration. After waiting for a few hours to enter Adoration, which was in the Life and Love center, we got a chance to reflect on our journey thus far... which was followed by delicious burgers at Frank and Furt. we followed this with a pilgrimage to some of the major churches in central Madrid, including the Cathedral, in which we prayed a decade. We visited five churches, which consisted of our rosary. We then visited some local shops which sold religious items and stopped for chocolate and churros, Spanish style. We then stopped at a local restaurant packed to the gills and learned how being polite to the waiters in Spain drastically affects when you will be served. To close out the day, we gathered in one of the hotel rooms to watch the all important second and final game GOAL FOR REAL MADRID!!! of the super copa game between Barcelona and REAL MADRID!, some of us in team appropriate attire. Right now, the room is divided in the Barcelona half and the Real Madrid half. The score is 2-2 now. Hasta Luego!
God Bless,
Jay Carmody and the World Youth Day Pilgrims
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
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