Breaking news today: Air Canada Flight 730 departed Sydney for Toronto today, July 25th, leaving behind three prominent media personnel from Canada’s only Catholic Television Network, Salt + Light Television: Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB, CEO; Mary Rose Bacani, Producer/Host; and Richard Valenti, Editor/Camera. For our “Left Behind” series, we were able to have an exclusive ...read more

As mentioned earlier, the main reason Fr. Tom came to Adelaide was to speak about St. Gianna Molla at a Triduum of Masses. Tonight, at the third and final night of his talks, something very special happened. But for you to appreciate the significance of what happened this night, you have to understand what we’ve ...read more

Today we visited a chapel in Adelaide where Blessed Mary MacKillop received her excommunication from Bishop Sheil, who was the Bishop of Adelaide at the time. The WYD patron profile of Australia’s saint states: “The zeal of saints often raises criticism. And Mary was the recipient of uncertainty and even jealousy from those around her, ...read more

Yippee!! Let’s get out of here! We’re on vacation! Ahhh… holidays. The getaway from the everyday… but not from your faith. Just because you’re not at home doesn’t mean Mass becomes a thing of the past and prayer is something to do when you get back. As Pope Benedict puts it, holidays are the opportunities ...read more

I’d like to tell you about Vincent, but not after I tell you about my morning’s interviews.The group of us went to the Archdiocesan office in Adelaide and met up with the auxiliary bishop of Adelaide, Bishop Greg O’Kelly, who happens to be a Jesuit with a lot of knowledge about Blessed Mary MacKillop. Chris ...read more

This blog comes from Marilena Berardinelli, a young Toronto based Catholic teacher and WYD08 participant. No one WYD is the same. Each WYD is flavoured by such things as the vision of its organizing committee, the charm of its host city and by the spirit of the pilgrims themselves. My experience in Rome (2000) was ...read more

The following is the Holy Father’s Angelus address, delivered at the conclusion of the Final Mass at Randwick Raceway, and just prior to the recitation of the Angelus prayer. Dear Young Friends, In the beautiful prayer that we are about to recite, we reflect on Mary as a young woman, receiving the Lord’s summons to ...read more

More pictures below…. All photos courtesy of WYD2008/Getty Images ...read more

Over 250-thousand gathered in Sydney’s harbour to see the dramatic re-enactment of our Lord’s Passion. One hundred actors performed the highly anticipated WYD event, which wound through the streets of Sydney stopping at St. Mary’s Cathedral, the Opera House, the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the Domain, Darling Harbor (on a pontoon boat!) and ...read more

I had three experiences of Christ that I can remember, from yesterday and today. When I was on the papal boat yesterday, and I saw the Pope come out of his car and wave with that big smile of his, it really touched my heart. Here is this introverted theologian who probably would rather spend ...read more