July 27 & 28, 2002, Day 6 &7
Us after the Papal Mass
Travel Log, days 6 & 7
Day 6
Today we were allowed to sleep in until noon. We boarded the bus around 12pm and headed
for the site of the WYD Saturday night Vigil and Sunday morning Mass. We arrived on site,
which was an old army base that was several square miles in size. Greeted by thousands of
other pilgrims we picked out a camping space for our group about a football field and a
half's length from the stage off to the right a little bit. From early afternoon until
about 7:30pm we watched thousands upon thousands of pilgrim's pour into the WYD site. It
was a hot and humid day, but nonetheless exciting. The Vigil started around 7:30pm with
the procession of Pope John Paul II through the thick crowd. He didn't pass by our area so
we didn't see the procession in person, however we were able to watch on the giant screens
surrounding the region. Half way through the ceremony the sun set and it began to get
dark. Slightly past the twilight time of day turning into night, we all lit our candles.
For as far as we could see, pilgrims from all corners of the site had lighted candles held
up. It was a sight to be seen, as if the stars were turned upside down. The Pope spoke to
the crowd and the people cheered. The Vigil lasted about three hours, ending with John
Paul pleading the pilgrims to get sleep and inviting them all for Mass the following
morning.
As the Pope was lifted into the air by helicopter after the Saturday night Vigil, the
crowd cheered as they watched him fly off. Shortly after, we noticed clouds rolling across
the sky - soon enough the entire sky was blanketed with clouds appearing to hold rain. For
several hours after the Vigil people walked around, getting food from the food stands, and
souvenirs from the souvenir stands. Until about three am, different musicians and singers
circulated the stage performing songs. Then, we finally began resting, and then sleeping,
as a group. It was difficult to sleep under unfamiliar conditions, but we were all pretty
tired, and we all found ourselves eventually sleeping.
Day 7
Around 4:50am we found ourselves caught in a rainstorm. We all received an earlier
wakeup call than we had anticipated - the rain caught us all by surprise. Having only
slept a few hours, we - along with most of the other pilgrims - started our day early. We
scrambled to cover our belongings, covering them and protecting them from the rain. After
about twenty-five minutes from the initial downpour, the rain began to stop. We waited
patiently for the Papal Mass to begin. An hour before Mass began it started to rain again,
only for a much longer time period. From the opening procession of Mass, through the
arrival and procession of the Pope, and well into the Mass, it poured. However, after a
good two and a half hours of rain, it finally stopped, and the sky cleared up, and at the
sun shone, warming us and drying the land. From that point on the Mass - which lasted
about three hours - was more enjoyable. It ended with an Apostolic blessing from Pope John
Paul II, a moment we will not forget. After Mass we packed up our gear and ventured from
the WYD site to our spot where we were to be picked up by our tour manager and bus driver.
We went back to our hotel to pick up our luggage and, after grabbing lunch at a nearby
Wendy's, we headed out for Niagra Falls. It was an hour and a half bus ride from Toronto
to Niagra Falls, and when we arrived we were greeted with a beautiful sight. We took a
boat ride down into the heart of the Falls where we all became very wet with the mist that
was leaping into the air from the water crashing down. It was a very exciting experience.
After that we had the opportunity to walk around the area and take pictures and buy
souvenirs. We spent about two and half hours there before getting back on the bus and
heading to Buffalo for the night. Upon arriving at our hotel in Buffalo, we quickly
brought our luggage to our rooms and then all gathered into a nearby restaurant for
dinner. It was a great way to end another great day - spending time together. Now we are
looking forward to coming home!
Diary from Katherine
The past two days have been quite amazing as well as an adventure.
Saturday morning we were able to sleep in a few extra hours to allow our bodies to get
ready for the hike. The hike to the field wasn't all that great. It was hot and extremely
humid. Once we arrived at the site we laid out our sleeping bags and rested. Saturday
night was extraordinary. We had a vigil with the pope in which we held candles and sang
songs. Sunday morning was a whole different story. At about 5:00 am it started to rain. I
slept through it but everyone else was drenched by the time I awoke. At 7:00 am it started
to pour and we made a city of umbrellas. We were all wet and cold. Mass started at 9:30 am
with the rain still coming, but 1/3 of the way through the mass God graced us with the
sunlight. The pope was so inspiring. He said that we young people are not the church of
tomorrow yet the church of today. Tonight was so fun. We hung out at Max's grill and ate
dinner. The food was fantastic and the company was out of this world. I really do love all
of you and can't wait to see you again. Love always, Katherine
Diary from Grace
This week has been an experience that none of us will ever forget.
It's been a week filled with early morning catechesis sessions, confession, stations of
the cross, the Skydome, and the unforgettable tours of Toronto by Magdelena, however,
we've all been anticipating and looking forward to the climax of the week: the vigil and
mass with the Holy Father. The Vigil, on Saturday night was quite an adventure! We camped
out all day waiting for the Pope to arrive later in the evening. The afternoon was spent
walking around the grounds meeting pilgrims from every other country in the world, joining
in on their dances and songs! The vigil was amazing! We all huddles together in little
groups to follow their service in prayer books, and every few people had head-phones on
translating the parts that weren't in English for everyone else. It was a candle-light
service and as the sun went down, the sight of the crowd with all the candles lit and
shining was breath-taking. The Holy Father was, of course, inspiring to say the least. His
faith in all of us couldn't have left us with anymore hope. While the Holy Father left for
the evening, the rest of us rolled out our sleeping bags for the night; little did we know
that there was a concert planned till three o'clock in the morning, and nature was going
to make it an even more enjoyable night!! Love, Grace
Video Diary
from Erin (sorry, it's sideways!)
More Pictures (added 8/12/02)
Matt Maher and
the Litany of Saints
Stage at the Vigil
Pope on TV at Vigil
Relaxing Before The Vigil
Cindy, Jaime, Angela
Cross atop the Stage
Praying at the Vigil
Pilgrims and Cross in Background
Papal Mass
Papal Mass (2)
Papal Mass (3)
Praying at Mass
Group Praying
Group after Papal Mass
Group afte Papal Mass (2)
Ryan and Joe Saying Goodbye to Ryan's Blanket
Canadian Falls
Grace and Megan
Ryan The Rock
Andy
More Pictures
John Paul II at
the Vigil on Saturday
Pope at Vigil
Group relaxing at WYD site before Vigil
Cindy, Jamie and Angela
Ryan and Andy
Another group relaxing before Vigil
Matt and Erin
Matt and Erin during Vigil
Group with candles for Vigil
Pilgrims with candles at Vigil
Ryan, Cindy and Matt L
Brian, Mary Elen, Pat and John
Jen in the rain
Matt and Erin in the rain
Bianca and Megan staying dry
John Paul II during Papal Mass
John Paul II during Papal Mass (2)
Group praying during Mass
Pope distributing Eucharist during Mass
Another group praying during Mass
Rob, Jen, Brian and Mary Elen singing during Mass
Katherine
Mary Elen and Katherine
Grace and Megan at Niagra Falls
Group at Niagra Fallsq
Niagra Falls
Another group at Niagra Falls
Another shot of Niagra Falls
Group arriving in Buffalo
Megan at Restaurant
Rob at Restaurant
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