Monday 25 July 2011

Countdown to WYD 2011


In just under three weeks a small group of young people who feel inspired by the Carmelite Way will join the pilgrims of Southwark diocese for the World Youth Day 2011 held in Madrid, Spain. The Carmelite group will gather at the Carmelite parish of English Martyrs, Walworth for a commissioning Mass at 10am on Sunday 14th August and the off to Heathrow for our flight to Madrid. Whilst in Madrid we will be staying at the Cabrini College. On Wednesday 17th of August, Carmelite pilgrims from all over the world will gather with our Prior General, Fr Fernando Millan Romeral, for a time of reflection, sharing and celebration.

We are looking forward to this trip, although for the friars the prospect of 40 degree heat and sleeping on a school floor for 8 nights is a daunting prospect! We know that God will be doing some amazing work amongst us and our fellow pilgrims during that time. Please pray for us and we, in turn, will hold you in our prayer

This following prayer is one in prepartion for the festival in Madrid.

Friend and Lord Jesus Christ
Friend and Lord Jesus Christ,
How great You are!
With Your words and Works You have revealed to us
Who God is, Your Father and our Father,
and Who You are: our Savior.
You call us to be with You.

We wish to follow You wherever You go.
We thank You for Your Incarnation.
You are the Eternal Son of God,
but You humbled Yourself and became man.
We thank You for Your Death and Resurrection.
You obeyed the Father's will to the extreme
and for this reason You are the Lord of all persons and things.
We thank You for having remained amongst us
in the Eucharist.
Your Presence, Your Sacrifice, Your Banquet
Invite us to remain always united to You.
You Call us to work with You.
We wish to go wherever You send us:
to announce Your name, to heal in Your Name,
to bring all of our brothers to You.

Grant us Your Holy Spirit, to enlighten and strengthen us.
The Virgin Mary, the Mother You gave us on the cross,
always encourages us to do what You say.
You are our Life. May our thoughts,
our love and our actions
always be rooted in You!
You are our Rock. May our faith in You
always be the solid foundation
of our life!

We pray for Pope Benedict XVI,
for the Bishops and for all those who
are preparing the next World Youth Day
in Madrid.
We pray for our family and friends
and especially for
all the young people who will get to know you
in this encounter, thanks to the firm and joyful
testimony of the faith.




Fr Damian, part of the Carmelite group and John Toryusen, the Southwark pilgrimage director, hard at work!

To find out more about World Youth Day - follow the link-

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