Bishop says World Youth Day will be 'an enormous grace' for Australia

Published: 2007-04-12

BALTIMORE (CNS) -- Auxiliary Bishop Anthony Fisher of Sydney, Australia, said he feels hosting World Youth Day 2008 will be "an enormous grace" for his country and added that the event is the biggest "single thing you can do to encourage our youth." The bishop, who is chief organizer of the July 15-20 international event, made the comments April 10 to a group of about 50 people at the National Catholic Educational Association convention at the Baltimore Convention Center. At the final Mass at World Youth Day 2005 in Cologne, Germany, Pope Benedict XVI announced to the crowd that the 2008 gathering would take place in Sydney. Since then the country has been planning for the big event. Bishop Fisher said he has "really been praying about" the theme: "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses." "Jesus calls us to go to the ends of the earth as witnesses of our faith and many young people think Australia is like the end of the earth," said Bishop Fisher jokingly. He said the goals of World Youth Day 2008 will be to enable youths to be witnesses of God, experience the power of the Holy Spirit, and have a moving and sanctifying pilgrimage in faith.

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