Diocesan pilgrims enjoy a light moment playing games with new international friends while waiting for the pope to arrive at World Youth Day in Sydney July 17.
TLIC photo/Mary Gorry

Sydney, Australia — While seeing Pope Benedict XVI was a highlight of World Youth Day for most of the pilgrims here, there were also other powerful and exciting moments for the pilgrims from the Rockville Centre Diocese.

On July 15, the more than 100 teens, young adults, youth leaders, and chaperones traveling with the diocese arrived at the waterfront venue of Barangaroo almost five hours early for the opening Mass celebrated by Cardinal George Pell of the Archdiocese of Sydney, grabbing a prime spot, and settling in for their first real taste of World Youth Day.

Some of the young people tossed a rugby ball around while others formed a circle to kick around a hackey sack. Some wrote in their journals, some prayed the rosary, and some stood near where other pilgrims were passing, shouting to each group, “Where are you from?”

“We were meeting people (beforehand),” said Rhonda Nieves, 18, of St. Martha’s Church in Uniondale, “but when the Mass started it was amazing to see how everybody just stopped (what they were doing). They became as one. Instead of being different countries and cultures and different heritages, it was all under one religion. Even if it was in a different language, people still participated as one. Even if you don’t understand the language, (the Church) is universal. And to get that many people to be quiet and to participate and to see how happy they were to see the cardinal, it was a great experience.”

“I thought it was fun taking pictures with people from around the world,” noted Kelle Tirrito, 15, also from St. Martha’s.

“My group went around to the other groups,” said Erin MacBride, 17, of Curé of Ars Church in Merrick. “The best reaction is when we tell people where we’re from and they’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, New York! We love New York!’”

The Long Island group was back at Barangaroo three days later on July 18 for the Stations of the Cross. They watched most of it on huge television screens as the actors processed through the streets of Sydney, but saw the final stations live.

“Everyone was freezing,” said Annemarie Mascolo, 23, of Holy Spirit Church, New Hyde Park, “but actually seeing Jesus’ suffering turned off my thoughts of how I was suffering. Whatever I’m going through, he went through so much more.”

“I thought it was powerful and moving,” agreed Carolyn Zuba, 24, also of Holy Spirit Church. “Watching them whipping him and pushing him, it was really moving. It felt like you were actually there watching it happen.”

“I’ve actually never seen a live re-enactment before,” added Michelle Mascolo, 25, of Holy Spirit. “It makes it feel like you’re suffering with Jesus. That last station where he dies on the cross always gets me. He did that for us because he knew it would save us.”

For slideshows from WYD events please click here