World Youth Day To Begin in 5 Days in Madrid

Through the World Youth Day (WYD )experience, young people from throughout the world will make a pilgrimage in faith, meet one another, and experience hospitality and the love of God. Young people will have an opportunity to rediscover their baptismal calling and the centrality of the sacraments of the Eucharist and reconcilication, and so discover a new apostolic zeal to witness more fully the Gospel in the modern world.

World Youth Day 2011 will be held in Madrid, Spain. This beautiful, cosmopolitan and Spain's capital city, everyday at Madrid is an exciting day, filled with live music scenes at every neighborhood square in site, bullfighting, football, art and delicious food from fine restaurants. Of course, with an intense culture like Madrid’s, every neighborhood and street has a glorious historical look and feel. The city bustles with friendly and exciting people and a high quality of metro transportation. Thousands of plazas, parks, monuments and fountains can be found and enjoyed at Madrid.

Madrid contains magnificent churches and world class museums, such as Del Prado which holds the world’s finest art collection. Every church possesses a long and fascinating history through their large and detailed architecture, and beautiful paintings and each mass is unique, vibrant, enthusiastic and filled with people of all age groups. In the first day of WYD 2011, a mass in the Plaza de la Cibeles in Madrid will be held by the Archdiocese of Madrid and bishops and priests involved with WYD. The Plaza de la Cibeles is one of Madrid’s most stunning city squares and the marble sculpture has become an iconic symbol for Madrid.

World Youth Day will begin with a Mass in the Plaza de la Cibeles in Madrid, headed by the Archbishop of Madrid and concelebrated by the bishops and priests involved in WYD.

Catechesis sessions will take place in churches, schools, auditoriums and sports centers in Madrid.

The Vigil will take place at Cuatro Vientos airfield where the Pope will begin with Eucharistic adoration. WYD participants will spend the night at the Cuatro Vientos aerodrome. For those who wish, there will be several tents where you can worship the Blessed Sacrament.

On the final morning, the Pope will concelebrate the final Mass (at Cuatro Vietos aerodome) with thousands of bishops and priests, to send the world to witness to their faith, as did the Lord with his apostles. At the end of the concluding Mass, the Pope will announce the venue of the next edition of World Youth Day.

The Office of Catholic Youth has created a Formation Program for WYD in order to facilitate and prepare pilgrims for that encounter, regardless of where they are celebrating. This World Youth Day we are offering a new initiative for those travelling to Spain with the OCY, travelling to Spain separately or celebrating WYD locally. We will also be providing additional formation and resources for group leaders.

The Program will include 3 major gatherings prior to WYD, activities / applications between sessions, 1 gathering after WYD and resources to maintain spirit and energy of WYD 2011, reported ocytoronto.org