After almost two years of preparation and anticipation the day finally arrived that myself and hundreds of other people from all over Scotland had been waiting for; Friday 19 th July, the first day of our pilgrimage to Toronto and the world Youth Day. Answering the Pope’s call to “Come and make the great avenues of Toronto resound with the joyful tidings that Christ loves every person” a group of thirty young people from the Diocese of Motherwell came to share the unique experience that is WYD. We started our pilgrimage by celebrating Mass with our group chaplains, Fr Frank Dougan and Fr Stephen Reilly before waving our family’s goodbye. With some 300 WYD pilgrims from all the different Scottish Diocese on the same flight, the 7-hour journey seemed to fly by as we spent the time either catching up with old friends or making new ones.

Our first day in Toronto and the beginning of the programme of events for World Youth Day. Part of the schedule of events is the catechesis, which we have with Fr Frank and Fr Stephen in the morning during Mass. It is a time of prayer and reflection and also discussion, which helps us to more fully, understand our faith. We all find this to be a very emotional experience, but also an uplifting one.

Today is our first chance to be with the Pope at the Papal Welcoming Ceremony and as the excitement and the sheer joy of the situation set in more than one person went missing as they ran to get a closer glimpse of the Pope! His message was such a positive one; acknowledging that we young people just “want to be happy”, and guiding us to that happiness by explaining to us the Beatitudes. The Pope’s message and his own strength and courage had many of us crying unashamedly into our hankies.

Today we have to get up early, as there is a walking pilgrimage to Downsview Lands where the Vigil with the Pope and the Papal Mass will be held. The Vigil with the Pope is always an unforgettable experience. The excitement has been building all day, and as the Pope arrives the feeling is one of complete joy and overwhelming love.

The Papal Mass, and as the Pope arrived the young people’s cries of John Paul II, We Love You completely blocked out the noise of the thunder! The Mass was beautiful and the Pope’s faith in us young people was such a gift. He said, “The world needs salt. It needs you – to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world”.

The experience of being with so many young people from all over the world, young people that are just like you, and sharing with them your culture and you faith is something that none of us will ever forget. All we have to say in complaint is that 3 years is too long to wait for the next World Youth Day. Roll on Cologne 2005!!!!!