Ok Finally I can write a proper blog.

Since I have not been able to blog for the last few days, this one will be quite long i think. I guess I will pick up where we left off.

Monday!

Monday was our travel day. We arrived at southern cross station early in the morning, but not before Margret served us a traditional aussie brekky of cereal, toast w/ veggiemite, eggs, aussie style bacon, and fruit. (If that sounds familiar, it is because australian culture is very similar to American culture with two major differences. 1. they drive on the left side of the road 2. they speak with an English accent.)

When we got to Southern Cross Station, we boarded a bus and checked our luggage, and headed off on a little 12 hour journey to Sydney. We were joined on the trip but a camera crew from channel 7 melbourne and Bishop Something.

Along the route to Sydney we stopped three times to let the drivers rest, and mingle and use the toilets. Lucky for us bishop something, who by the first rest stop had earned the title Bishop Windbag, left us at the first stop. His favorite thing to do was hear himself talk. So we were happy for him to leave us.

At one stop I chatted with group from Papa New Guinea (PNG). It was the first time that I was greeted by a non American with a genral warmth about being an American. I also got a bit of a history lesson. Appearently the US fought of the Japanese troops in WWII when they were trying to take over PNG. We then, with Australia's help, helped set up a new government in PNG and allowed them to become thier own sovreign nation. They are very grateful to the US, at a time when so many countries are so bitter toward us. They are also a very poor country, and thier youth leader told me that it was "only by the grace of god that they were able to come here" It was one of the more moving experiences of the trip for me so far.

We arrived in Sydney about 1:25 in the morning and had a nice surprise.....NO Luggage! horray for poor logistics systems. Oh well it is the cross we had to bear.

TUESDAY!

Tuesday was the opening mass, and the first real taste of what World Youth Day (WYD) is all about. We arrived at an old shipping yard on Darling Harbor called Barangaroo. This shipping yard was set up for the opening mass. This place is massive. there were over 200,000 people at mass. We were in a station with about 700 samoans. (I found out that Samoa is pronounced SAH-moa rather than sah-MOA like we usually say it.) It was a great experience.

The Mass was seriously the most amazing mass that I have ever been to. The Music was provided by the Sydney Youth Orchestra and Youth Chorale. Absolutely Beautiful.

After mass we came back to Bondi Beach and had dinner at a little pizzaria with a nice bottle of Shiraz. Great way to end the day if i do say so myself.

WEDNESDAY!

We started Catacisis on wednesday with the Bishop of Lexington,KY. Whoop Go america! Histalk was on trying to define the Holy Spirit, and how we can find him. It was a great topic, and the bishop was definitely not a windbag. He also said a beautiful mass after class.

Wednesday night was just a big youth festival. We started with a trip to St. Mary's Cathedral.

This is an amazingly awesome gothis Cathedral in the middle of downtown Sydney which is not a predominately Catholic city. They also unveiled a new painting of Our lady of the Southern Cross, a great painting, look it up.

After the Cathedral we went Back to Bondi Beach for a concert with Fr. Stan http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgZbP8nddhU

and His dancing Franciscans! Also with Matt Maher, look him upon you tube too. Beautiful night on a beautiful beach under the Southern Cross!!!!!!!!

THURSDAY!

Yesterday we Saw the pope! Wow i was a mere 5 feet from him.

FRIDAY!

I am tired. Tomorrow is our 6 mile pilgramage walk. I will write more about it then, but I am vey tired now.

Love you guys.

Peace

Hooge