World Youth Day Madrid, Spain 2011

The numbers are finally in!  World Youth Day 2011 in Madrid, Spain hosted over 2 million people with the majority of them being the youth of our world!    This was the third most attended WYD with 193 nations represented.  Italy, Spain and France had the most participants.  How proud Our Blessed Virgin Mary must have been to witness such love and devotion to her son!

I ask you, why wasn't this headline news?  2 million Catholics gather to celebrate and worship Jesus Christ and it's barely newsworthy here in America.  I think it's absolutely incredible that so many young people from around the world love Jesus.  It warms my heart and brings me to tears.  It also gives me hope for the future of our world!

God Bless,
Noreen

Pope Wanted to Stay at Rain-Drenched Vigil

Father Lombardi Confirms Benedict XVI's Enthusiasm

MADRID, Spain, AUG. 21, 2011 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI decided to remain at the vigil at Cuatro Vientos this Saturday despite the sudden cloudburst that prevented him from giving the speech that he had prepared.

This was reported today by Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, director of the Vatican press office, in comments to Vatican Radio.

The Pope was "struck" by the young people's enthusiasm, he explained.

Even if the vigil had not been able to follow the program that had been planned, the Jesuit priest observed that it provided an occasion to give "a further message, because the way of dealing with this difficulty demonstrated enthusiasm, decision, the desire of the young people present to continue – without losing the least courage -- their celebration of faith."

The Pope, Father Lombardi added, "was absolutely one with them in being absolutely decided to continue, to be present."

"During the storm he was asked twice whether he thought that he should leave and instead said: ‘No, I am staying. We are staying.'"

It was evident that Benedict XVI was "very struck by this enthusiasm and this participation by the young people."

For the Vatican spokesman, one of the most intense moments was during eucharistic adoration: "Yesterday evening -- with the storm that naturally brought a little confusion in some moments -- it was perhaps hard to expect recollection and such complete participation and so quickly in the moment of the prayer of adoration."

"It seemed to me, instead," Father Lombardi said, "that this was one of the most extraordinary aspects of yesterday evening's vigil."