Young British Catholics arrive in Rio for WYD

800 young British Catholics have arrived in Rio this week, eagerly awaiting the arrival of Pope Francis for the World Youth Day festival. The first Latin American Pope arrives in Brazil on Monday 22 July and some notable highlights of the seven day visit will include the blessing of a drug addiction clinic, a visit to the favela of Manguinhos, one of the poorest in Rio, a welcome ceremony on Copacabana beach, the hearing of young Catholics’ confessions, silent adoration and the celebration of Mass with upwards of 1.5 million pilgrims. This is Pope Francis’ first international trip as Pontiff.

Spiritual and practical preparations for the largest youth festival in the world have been taking place across the country over the past year in the Dioceses of Westminster, East Anglia, Birmingham, Liverpool and Aberdeen which have all sent sizeable groups. Other pilgrim groups include the University of London, Cafod and the Neo-Catechumenal Way (a new global movement within the Church).

Four English Bishops will be attending - Archbishop Bernard Longley (Birmingham), Bishop John Sherrington (Auxiliary, Westminster), Bishop William Kenney (Auxiliary Birmingham) and Bishop Alan Hopes (East Anglia). And Bishop Hugh Gilbert from Scotland (Aberdeen).

There is a strong British line-up on the World Youth Day social media team in Rio itself and British pilgrims have responded to the papal call to be ambassadors to their contemporaries within the digital continent on:

blog www.ukpilgrims.com
twitter @ukpilgrims
facebook. www.facebook.com/ukpilgrims

This year the English version of the WYD Anthem will be performed by an English band, Ooberfuse, hear it here – ‘Go be missionaries’ - www.rio2013.com/en/world-youth-day/wyd-hymn

British Singer/Songwriter Edwin Fawcett will also be performing at WYD Rio.

For those young people unable to travel to Rio, there are “WYD @home events”. There is one in the north and one in the south – the ‘Rio comes to Kent’ Brightlights festival is at Aylesford Priory and ‘Rio’s coming to Castlerigg’ is in Keswick, Cumbria. Both promise to be the next best thing to Rio this summer.

www.brightlights.org.uk/Brightlights/Home.html
www.castleriggmanor.co.uk/world-youth-day-festival/

For the full Papal schedule see: www.rio2013.com/en/news/details/1945/pope-francis-brazil-schedule