austraLasia
#1747
2008 World Youth Day to be
bigger than the 2000 Sydney Olympics
MELBOURNE: 5th February 2007 -- The ongoing meeting of Provincials from East
Asia-Oceania has featured a detailed overview of preparations for the July 2008
World Youth Day, along with the various preparations for a 'Salesian moment' as
aprt of the event. Fr Bernie Graham, the Salesian Youth Ministry Delegate
and contact person for the WYD preparations in Salesian terms, stressed that
there is a single official channel for everything to do with the WYD
preparations, headed up by Bishop Anthony Fisher of Sydney, and his organising
committee. Indications so far are that the Sydney 2008 event will be
larger than the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Preparations are in
hand through the official channels for an SYM opportunity - precise date and
times still depend on allocation by the central organising committee, but a
request has been made for a five hour programme giving appropriate space and
time to contributing SYM groups. The Koeln experience, where there was a
tendency for participants to get 'lost' in adjoining streets (it was akin to a
street party) has been taken into account this time. All information on the
Salesian event will be available through the AUL province website
www.donbosco.asn.au/auxilium/ . Fr Bernie indicated that the larger number of
Salesian participants, the better the chances will be of gaining a more
prominent slot in the main events, hence it is important for intending
participants from other parts of the Salesian world to (1) identify themselves
to the Salesian organizing group, again using the website as guidance and (2)
making moves now to gain access. While the Australian Government is
obviously facilitating entry, there are still conditions in a difficult post
9/11 world. Best to enter as a tourist, not for other motives. It
will also be useful, in the overall procedures for registering for the WYD
officially, to indicate 'Salesian' belonging - that way allocation of persons to
main areas will ensure that Salesian identified groups are similarly
located.
This was but one item of sharing amongst
provincials on 4th February. Others will need to wait for another
austraLasia.
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