austraLasia 1648
Pacific excitement mounts as islands prepare for WYD'08
SUVA: 12th September 2006 -- Excitement is mounting amongst young Catholics in the hundreds - indeed thousands - of islands that dot the Pacific Ocean in the Continent known as Oceania. A few weeks ago the Bishops of Oceania met in Suva, Fiji, and it seemed that no matter what subject they touched on, it came back each time to what promises to be an unparalleled outpouring of the Spirit amongst the young who make up many of the world's youngest nations - young in nationhood, young by proportion amongst their populations.
Caroline Islands, Cook Islands, Fiji, Guam, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Mariana Islands, Nauru, Norfolk Island, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu have never formally registered pilgrims before at a World Youth Day. They will do so for Sydney 2008. Papua New Guinea, which has had no more than 10 pilgrims previously registered, is planning to send 1,000 on a long pilgrimage which will begin in the Highlands of PNG, cross the Strait to Australia's northern tip then proceed south the many thousands of kilometres to Sydney . New Zealand, which has previously managed to put together about 100 young people for the long trek to Europe or North America is aiming to send 10,000 across the Tasman to Sydney.
In the meantime, evangelisation, catechesis and prayer are the watchwords for dioceses, religious communities, parishes. The WYD Cross and Icon are due to arrive in the region in February of 2007, and already the Bishops and various committees in Pacific Island Catholic communities are looking at how to convey these symbols around the millions of square kilometres of ocean and tiny islands. The WYD-SYD organisers have promised that young people who come to Sydney for the event will experience a true pilgrimage in faith. Islanders are well-placed for pilgrimage - by the most ancient means available to mankind as well as by the most modern; by boat and by air. The boat, for many Pacific Island nations (the canoe) is one of the most potent symbols they possess. Fiji Islanders have multiple reminders of the Drua or huge double-hulled ocean-going canoe everywhere, now represented by the peculiar design of their public telephone booths! The Drua's tall mast and wide sail was a symbol of 'broadcasting' the voice of the islands long before modern-day broadcasting was ever thought of.
Meanwhile, Salesian communities in Samoa, Fiji Islands, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea have their sights on 2008 too. Just what shape their contribution will take is yet to be finalised. Australian Province planning activity is underway and that includes Samoa and Fiji. In a few days time youths who have been associated with Don Bosco House in Suva since they were ten years of age and who are now in their late teens and early twenties, are planning to meet this weekend to look at their own plans for spiritual growth and apostolic activity. There is little doubt that WYD will be at least on their lips and in their hearts.
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AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome. For queries please contact admin@bosconet.aust.com Try out BoscoWiki to be interactive. For RSS feeds, subscribe to www.bosconet.aust.com/RSS/rssala.xm A separate service entirely is called F'OSSERVATORE to help us keep abreast of trends in the digital world.
Pacific excitement mounts as islands prepare for WYD'08
SUVA: 12th September 2006 -- Excitement is mounting amongst young Catholics in the hundreds - indeed thousands - of islands that dot the Pacific Ocean in the Continent known as Oceania. A few weeks ago the Bishops of Oceania met in Suva, Fiji, and it seemed that no matter what subject they touched on, it came back each time to what promises to be an unparalleled outpouring of the Spirit amongst the young who make up many of the world's youngest nations - young in nationhood, young by proportion amongst their populations.
Caroline Islands, Cook Islands, Fiji, Guam, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Mariana Islands, Nauru, Norfolk Island, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu have never formally registered pilgrims before at a World Youth Day. They will do so for Sydney 2008. Papua New Guinea, which has had no more than 10 pilgrims previously registered, is planning to send 1,000 on a long pilgrimage which will begin in the Highlands of PNG, cross the Strait to Australia's northern tip then proceed south the many thousands of kilometres to Sydney . New Zealand, which has previously managed to put together about 100 young people for the long trek to Europe or North America is aiming to send 10,000 across the Tasman to Sydney.
In the meantime, evangelisation, catechesis and prayer are the watchwords for dioceses, religious communities, parishes. The WYD Cross and Icon are due to arrive in the region in February of 2007, and already the Bishops and various committees in Pacific Island Catholic communities are looking at how to convey these symbols around the millions of square kilometres of ocean and tiny islands. The WYD-SYD organisers have promised that young people who come to Sydney for the event will experience a true pilgrimage in faith. Islanders are well-placed for pilgrimage - by the most ancient means available to mankind as well as by the most modern; by boat and by air. The boat, for many Pacific Island nations (the canoe) is one of the most potent symbols they possess. Fiji Islanders have multiple reminders of the Drua or huge double-hulled ocean-going canoe everywhere, now represented by the peculiar design of their public telephone booths! The Drua's tall mast and wide sail was a symbol of 'broadcasting' the voice of the islands long before modern-day broadcasting was ever thought of.
Meanwhile, Salesian communities in Samoa, Fiji Islands, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea have their sights on 2008 too. Just what shape their contribution will take is yet to be finalised. Australian Province planning activity is underway and that includes Samoa and Fiji. In a few days time youths who have been associated with Don Bosco House in Suva since they were ten years of age and who are now in their late teens and early twenties, are planning to meet this weekend to look at their own plans for spiritual growth and apostolic activity. There is little doubt that WYD will be at least on their lips and in their hearts.
___________________
AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome. For queries please contact admin@bosconet.aust.com Try out BoscoWiki to be interactive. For RSS feeds, subscribe to www.bosconet.aust.com/RSS/rssala.xm A separate service entirely is called F'OSSERVATORE to help us keep abreast of trends in the digital world.
