This is going to be the last post from our groups – I’m taking the blog back over for the Vigil and Closing Mass!
For lunch today, we were fortunate enough to meet up with the WYD group from Battambang, Cambodia. The Diocese of East Anglia are twinned with the Diocese of Battambang, and Cambodia was always very close to Bishop Michael’s heart, so he was very much in the centre of all our minds today. We shared our WYD experiences so far, and previous WYDs if we had been before. We also shared dances, songs and prayers. Bishop Michael was loved by both dioceses, and Fr Luke emphasised this by saying that even though we are from completely different parts of the world and have very different walks of life, we are not alone in our faith, and this struck home for many of us, especially with seeing so many other young Catholics around the world just on the streets of Madrid!
A brisk walk later and the group were ready in position for Via Crucis, The Way of the Cross, or simply, the Stations of the Cross. We were very lucky to get a position between Stations 8 and 9 in preparation for the Stations, led by the Pope later that evening. Many thanks to Paul, Pete, Ciaran and the others for finding the space and holding the fort until the rest of us got there!
Via Crucis itself was absolutely amazing! The huge bonus was that the Pope was driven right past us in the Popemobile and we have a few videos and pictures of him waving at the crowds of people. We were all shouting, screaming, waving, and singing as he went past, but as soon as the Stations started, then silence fell over the pilgrims. The whole things was just incredible, so after an hour and a half of the Stations (there was singing between each Station and a cross travelling between them held by young Catholics in different situations), we had another surprise as the Pope came back exactly the way he had come! Seeing the Pope twice in one day was amazing! Completely made up for the disappointment of yesterday, which was really good. We felt as though WYD had really started then!
We’re off to Cuatro Vientos tomorrow for the Vigil with the Pope! Looking forward to it!
The Green Team – The Dream Team
