World Youth Day Hawaii gets into the spirit of Sydney

By Patrick Downes | Hawaii Catholic Herald

Instead of a landmark opera house, a vast Australian harbor, and expansive racetrack, the participants of World Youth Day Hawaii had to settle for the green grounds of St. Stephen Diocesan Center. Nevertheless, their small-scale synchronization with the global event in Sydney did not lack for spirituality, prayerfulness, enthusiasm, enrichment and fun.

And the food was probably better.

About 210 young people and their adult coordinators gathered from Oahu and neighbor island parishes for the July 18-20 experience organized to coincide with World Youth Day 2008 in Sydney, Australia.

The Hawaii event included outdoor Stations of the Cross, Mass, rosary recitations, Scripture sharing, catechetical sessions, overnight eucharistic adoration, a penance service, and presentations by internationally known sacred musician and performer Vince Ambrosetti.

Meanwhile, projected on a large screen in the auditorium was a live internet feed streaming video of events in Sydney, keeping Hawaii participants in touch with Pope Benedict XVI and 250,000 international pilgrims.

Day one featured the recitation of the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary, catechesis sessions entitled “Called by Name” and “Clothed in Light,” and an evening “light and darkness” ritual followed by Benediction and Exposition of the Eucharist.

Eucharistic adoration, with the recitation of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy and the Chaplet of the Blessed Sacrament, lasted all night until 7 a.m.

Saturday’s activities repeated some of Friday’s with the Luminous and Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary, two more catechetical sessions, plus some sharing sessions and a musical concert. The evening had a penance service and another nocturnal adoration session.

Some of the Hawaii pilgrims in Sydney made a short “aloha from Australia” video for the Hawaii gathering that included the singing of “Hawaii Ponoi.”

The Glorious Mysteries were recited on Sunday, followed by a final catechesis, a closing “commissioning” liturgy, and lunch.