Daud the Indonesian Californian

World Youth Day

Madrid August 16-21/2011

Rome 2000 (Wikipedia)

One single Indonesian from San Francisco Bay Area.

Dear friends,

Daud the Indonesian Californian has a wish. To make it easy for the blue fairy, she may choose which one is easier for her to fulfill his wish. Either whoosh him back to his youth days, or change history and initiate World Youth Day sooner, around the early nineteen fifties.

Why the wish? Because World Youth Day is phenomenal! And he wants to be there to participate in the awesome world movement and be part of history.

Just check the video below that was released 100 days before World Youth Day 2011 to realize how big a movement World Youth Day (WYD) is. 100 Days before D-day WYD 2011, officially more than 340.000 already registered to participate. Biggest participants registered were from Italy, Spain, French, USA and Germany. Total of 1,5 million is expected to congregate in Madrid.

What is World Youth Day (WYD) and how did WYD begin and when?

The late pope John Paul II began World Youth Day in 1985. The very beginning of the history started during the Jubilee of 1983-1984. The Jubilee is called the Holy Year of Redemption. This was in memory of the death of Jesus Christ. Among the various celebrations dedicated to youth during the Jubilee, the most important took place at the Palm Sunday Vigil in Rome. More than 300,000 young people from all over the world participated in the International Youth Jubilee, where the Pope presented them with a wooden cross.

When the United Nations declared 1985 the International Year of Youth, the Catholic Church organized another international event on Palm Sunday, March 31^st. More than 350,000 youth gathered together in St. Peter’s Square. Following this event, the Pope instituted World Youth Day.

World Youth Day was a great desire of John Paul II fulfilled.

World Youth Day in many parts of the world.

After 1985, WYD was held in the following places and years:

1987 in Buenos Aires attended by one million young people

1989 in Santiago de Compostela with more than 500,000 young people

1919 in Czechoslovakia, 1.6 million

1993 in Denver, 600,000

1995 in Manila with a record breaking 4 million

1997 in Paris, 1.2 million

2000 in Rome (2000 Jubilee), 2 million (Photo on top of page)

2002 in Toronto, 800,000

2005 in Cologne, 1.1 million

2008 in Sydney, 400,000

Now this year, 2011, in Madrid, Spain.

Average age of WYD participant is between 16 – 25 years. WYD 2011 age requirement is 14-30 years of age. Participants under 18 must travel with a group. Those over 30 years of age can accompany groups as leaders and observers.

WYD participated by Catholics and Non Catholics

Word Youth Day is open to all. Invitation to attend extends to all youth, regardless of religious convictions. Its message is relevant to all people and all are welcome. Many non-Catholic have taken part in previous World Youth Days.

The patron saint of World Youth Day is Mother Theresa of Calcutta. Since his beatification, Pope John Paul II who started the event, has become its co-patron.

History of World Youth Day

Toledo

Dear Friends,

If you miss the chance to go to WYD 2011 this year, prepare yourself to go three years from now. And I feel sad that this year only one person from the Indonesian community in San Francisco Bay Area will be participating. But I think and I hope more Indonesian youth from other parts of USA are going.

Vaya Con Dios, my friend.

P.S.

I am still waiting for my blue fairy with her magic wand.

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