ukpilgrims

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WYD Interview with Archbishop Vincent Nichols from Catholic Westminster on Vimeo.

I got to interview Archbishop Vincent Nichols while out in Madrid, here’s what he had to say!

The Most Rev Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster talks about WYD, the significance it has after the London riots and what young people should take back to their parishes.

Jo-Anne Rowney

Yesterday we traveled in pilgrimage style down to the airfield in blistering heat, there was hardly any water stops on the way so by the time we arrived we were very thirsty and tired. There was a sea of people making their way to the airfield, pilgrims trying to get in all at the same time. 

We finally got in, but the police wouldn’t let us get into our own zone. The airfield was supposed to be divided up into sections, we were E1 – the letters go up to F in the main area, then non paying pilgrims were supposed to be G-J, but due to the large crowds everything became confusing. People were pushing and panicking. In the end we were told we had to stay in H3!

The adventure then began for food, everything was in the main area so people were sneaking through fences to get their packs. We waited until the end of the Vigil before heading in search of ours.

During the vigil a large black cloud covered the sky, then the heavens opened, loud claps of thunder and streaks of lightning filled the sky. It was scary, but also quite exciting. It gave a dramatic back drop to the vigil. The Pope had to abandon his address, and return for the Vigil later on when the wind died down.

Some chapels were destroyed, and some taken down for security reasons, according to the police.

This left most of the 1million pilgrims without communion for the Sunday Mass. Our group had priests with us so received a blessing. It was a touching moment. Priests we’d got to know really well over the past 2 weeks, walked silently around the group, giving a blessing, addressing you by name. In a way it was more moving than if we’d had communion from a stranger.

Quite in the raging storm

Amongst all the chaos I did have a moment or two of calm. Kneeling in silence was powerful. One of the group reached out to hold another pilgrims hand, we ended up in a long chain connected, all praying in our hearts to God.

When the Pope returned after changing for the vigil the rain suddenly stopped and the wind died down, the remainder of adoration the weather calmed, as soon as the Pope left the rain returned and dark clouds grew again! It reminded me of Cofton park, during the papal Visit. The Pope’s entrance at Cofton saw the sun return after hours of rain.

This morning the sun returned leaving pilgrims a little wilted and burnt. The picnic packs provided us with a hast breakfast and Mass began. The tone had changed, it seemed happier – after all who can complain when the sun is shining?

Jo-Anne Rowney

Pope Benedict has declared St John of Avila the 34th “doctor of the church.”

The Spanish saint, who lived 1500-1569, was famed as a preacher, confessor and spiritual writer. He is best known for the works “Audi, Filia” (“Listen, Daughter”), which is a guide to the spiritual life, and for his “Treaty of God’s Love.” In Spain he is honored as the patron saint of diocesan priests.

St. John of Avila will become the 34th doctor of the church. St. Therese of Lisieux was the 33rd and it was at World Youth Day in Paris in 1997 that Blessed John Paul II announced his intention to name her among the church’s greatest, most influential spiritual writers and theologians.

He will join a list that includes early church fathers like Sts. Jerome, John Chrysostom and Augustine, and Catholic household names like Sts. Thomas Aquinas and Bonaventure and fellow Spaniard, St. John of the Cross. There are three women doctors of the church: Sts. Therese of Lisieux, St. Catherine of Siena and St. Teresa of Avila.

Pope:

“Dear Brothers and Sisters,

With great joy, here in this Cathedral Church of Santa María La Real de la Almudena, I announce to the People of God that, having acceded to the desire expressed by Cardinal Antonio María Rouco Varela, Archbishop of Madrid and President of the Bishops’ Conference of Spain, together with the members of the Spanish episcopate and other Archbishops and Bishops from throughout the world, as well as many of the lay faithful, I will shortly declare Saint John of Avila a Doctor of the universal Church.

In making this announcement here, I would hope that the word and the example of this outstanding pastor will enlighten all priests and those who look forward to the day of their priestly ordination.

I invite everyone to look to Saint John of Avila and I commend to his intercession the Bishops of Spain and those of the whole world, as well as all priests and seminarians. As they persevere in the same faith which he taught, may they model their hearts on that of Jesus Christ the good shepherd, to whom be glory and honor for ever. Amen.”

Jo-Anne

All of lifes responses surrounded the Westminster gorup, from apathy to revernece, to deep emotional reactions to the disinterested. All of life was present, nearby a girl so overcome by Christ’s love for us, the suffering he went through broke down into tears.

As the hammer sounded echoing the nailing of Jesus to the Cross people hung their heads listening to the resounding sound pounding, the definite resolute knocking captured the spirit of the moment.

The pain Jesus went through, the suffering he must have endured. The realisation that Jesus is not just simply a man that was crucified in a romantic fashion, he isn’t the picture perfect Jesus often shown on a cross. He was in pain, he bled, he sweated. The pain was so bad he cried out to God to come to his aid.

Pilgrims around me were touched. The reality of the banging hammer struck home. Jesus’ death was reality in that moment, the reality of his love. The enormity of it all, I was back in that place over 2000 years ago, at the bottom of the cross looking at Jesus feeling his pain, and overcome with his love for us.

Jessica from the USA said: “You can read and meditate of the Way of the Cross alone and you get a small, minute idea of the suffering Jesus endured. When that hammer sounded, just the banging. The loud echo. It was silent and still and I forgot there was anyone else there. I felt it, inside I was deeply moved. How could you not cry? That amount of love is overwhelming.”

Our Magnificat books included the lyrics to This is the Way of the Cross. The lyrics couldn’t have summed it up more for me. This is the Way of the Cross. The Saviour of the World.

Via Crucis. The Way of the Cross. The way it should be. Reverent, thought provoking, moving.

Jo-Anne