Events
World Youth Day is the largest youth event in the world and this year was held in Sydney (between 15 - 20th July). Over 500,000 young people shared the pilgrim experience with the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI. Around 2,000 young pilgrims and 20 bishops traveled from England and Wales to Australia for an event that is a mixture of a pilgrimage, a cultural youth festival and a prayer rally.
In size and scale WYD08 was a major international youth event and, for the final vigil and Mass, crowd numbers far exceeded the Sydney Olympic Games.
WYD attracted pilgrims from over 170 nations (along with thousands of international journalists). WYD08 also marked the first visit to Australia by Pope Benedict XVI. It was actually a week of events, culminating in the final Mass celebrated by the Holy Father.
Visit our WYD section for press resources, info for pilgrims, quotes from Pope Benedict XVI and more.
Pope Benedict XVI has declared 28 June 2008 to 29 June 2009 the ‘Year of St. Paul’ to celebrate of the 2,000th anniversary of St Paul’s birth. St Paul was born a Jew and later became a Christian after a powerful experience of Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus.
After some time away in prayer, he spent the rest of his life encouraging the early Christian communities through his personal witness and his letters. As the ‘Apostle to the Gentiles’, St Paul made many missionary journeys and endured great sufferings to preach the Gospel message. Thirteen of the letters in the New Testament are attributed to St Paul.
Here you will find our full section on the Year of St Paul.