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The Lord has brought me on many journeys and adventures since my first trip to Medjugorje.  My first big one was In 2005 when I went to Cologne, Germany for World Youth Day with my friend Damian. We travelled with the Emmanuel Community from Ireland, there were about 60 young people in the group.  What is World Youth Day? Well it's a youth oriented Catholic Church event. While the event itself celebrates the Catholic faith, the invitation is for  to all youth, regardless of religious convictions.  World Youth Day was initiated by Pope John Paul II in 1985. It is celebrated diocesan level annually, and at a week long international level every two or three years at different locations. The international level events attract hundreds of thousands of youth from all around the world.  The first international WYD was in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1987.  



Cologne was my first experience of WYD and it was such an amazing pilgrimage.  Besides meeting and making many new friends it was great to see so many young people from many different countries.  All coming together to be with the Holy Father in prayer in an old air field at the end of a week of prayer and fellowship.  In the open air we gathered for a overnight prayer vigil.  Close to two million young people gathered for this. It was quite a sight to see a sea of people. Myself and Damian had a tent to try and get some rest for the night. All night the young people sang and played music, while other like us tried to get some sleep. The following morning we woke to light fog that lifted for Holy Mass with Pope Benedict XVI.  It was a very tiring trip because we were on the go all the time, but it was worth it. We spent a few days in a small town called Kevelaer with other Emmanuel Community groups from around the world for what WYD call 'Days in the diocese. The pilgrims from countries are offered free accommodation by each diocese in either schools, parishes, sports centers or homes. Each day the pilgrims meet with young local Catholics for prayer and worship at the shrines and religious sites held dear by each region.



Kevelaer is famaous as a Marian Shrine called 'Gnadenkapelle' Chapel of Grace. In 1654 the Chapel of Grace was built over the shrine to protect the sacred image and give it a worthy home. The small but richly decorated hexagonal building was designed after the model of the pilgrimage chapel in Scherpenheuvel in Belgium. The altar inside was consecrated in 1663.  The image itself, however, is rather modest and definitely not a great work of art, it’s the story behind it that counts. It is a print, probably from a copper engraving, on paper and no larger than the palm of a hand. It shows Mary and the baby Jesus, both wearing crowns. Mary is holding a sceptre and wearing a wide cloak. In the background the city of Luxembourg is depicted, with the pilgrimage chapel on the right, which is probably where the soldiers got the image. The inscription above says, “Consoler of the afflicted, pray for us.”  The image in the Chapel of Mercy is still the original one. The small print has received a silver frame and a golden crown and is ornated with precious jewels. It can be seen from outside the chapel through an opening in the wall. From inside the chapel you can walks past the image through a narrow passage behind the altar.

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Kevelaer was such a great way to prepare for Cologne, it was so busy there that it was hard to find time to pray.  In Cologne many members of Pure in Heart travelled over and we met up as often as we could.  After Cologne we would be travelling to Medjugorje for our first pure in heart pilgrimage as a group.  It would be the begining of an annual pilgrimage for the youth festival in Medjugorje that I would organise every year.  Our Lady was calling me to be a group leader to Medjugorje. 



In 2008 after saying that I would never go to another World Youth Day I found myself travelling agina with the Emmanuel Community to Sydney Australia.  This time it was a much smaller group, 16 in total. We had a stop over in Singapore for about 9 hours before we landed the other side of the world. Some of the group had been to Cologne, so it was good to catch up with friends I'd not seen in a long time.  Damian did not travel with me this time. I travelled with a few others from Pure in Heart, Michelle, Emmet and Francesca.  It would turn out to be the most amazing three week adventure with the Lord.  I loved every minute of it.  I do hope to travel back to Australia one day and maybe catch up some of the friends we made in Goulburn, New South Wales.  We spent our first week there as part of the Days in the Diocese.  It was in July and Goulburn was so cold that any photos of me you can see the many layers I have on, I was well padded for the cold.  Dispite the cold, it was the most amazing week of preperation for our time in Sydney.  Everyone in the group got on really well and we prayed most days as a group with each other. Myself and a friend, Liam stayed with a lovely young woman called Miriam.  We shared the house with two girls from Holland too. We had such a good time in Goulburn that it was hard to leave for Sydney.  We also spent alot of time with a large group from Brazil and I am in contact with some of them to this day.  

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In Sydney our little group of 16 got to stay in one house.  It was so much fun all, the guys slept in the living room on sofa's and blow-up beds, while all the girls shared the bedrooms. With ony one shower and toilet it was an early start to get washed in the morning, but we survived.  Each day in Sydney was busy too and meant we were out of the house all day with the different events for WYD.  Once again we finished with the Vigil and Holy Mass with Pope Benedict.  This time it was held in a Horse Race Course, nearly a million young people gathered for this.  It was such a cold night, as it was winter time in Australia and we all found it hard to sleep.  Our tents got very damp, so refuge was sought by some of us in the Adoration tents which had heaters.  Some of the groups slept in the presence of the Lord in such tents.  After Sydney we went to the Beautiful Blue Mountains for three days before going back to Sydney for a night and our long flight home.  To be part of such an amazing group of young people was a true blessing.  I have nothing but Great memories of my time in Australia.



In August 2011 I once again set off on a WYD adventure.  This time I didn't have to travel to the other side of the planet.  A reasonabily short flight and I had touched down in Madrid Spain along with my fellow pilgrims.  This time I travelled with a group organised by the Irish Dominicans.  A much larger group than my previous WYD experience.  We would be in Spain a total ot 10 days with a number of days travelling before we make our way back to Madrid.  We had such a wonderful few days in Caleruega, Salamanca, Ávila and Toledo.  We had plenty of time for prayer, tours and free time as we prepared for the crowds in Madrid.  An estimated 2 million young people from around the world were expected.  In Madrid we had many events that we got to attend as a group.  It was such a nice time in the Heat of Madrid.  It was extremely hot so we had to make sure we drank plenty of water.  However, even though I drank plenty it was not enough.  I got dehydrated on the morning that we as a group had planned to make our way to the vigil with Pope Benedict.  So I stayed back in our hotel and got plenty of water into my system.  I managed to watch all the proceedings with the Pope on the television in my room.  It was an unfortunate way to finish my pilgrimage but it was all part of my WYD experience.  The following morning we made our way to the airport for our return flight to Dublin.



In 2013 WYD will be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.  I have no plans to go.  But I said after Cologne that I'd never go again...!!!  So stayed tuned for an update.....