Reflections on my Last World Youth Day in Toronto

So back in 2002 I went to World Youth Day in Toronto, the last WYD that John Paul II attended. I remember the place being overloaded with teen-agers most of the week. In reality this event was supposed to be for college students and younger adults just starting out in life. The connotation of "youth" in foreign lands essentially runs from the ages of 16 until marriage (whenever that is). In Spanish it is connoted by the word jovenes. In the United States and even just in English language countries youth equals teens...hence the confusion and the different audiences.

I believe now you have to be 16 in order to attend so that might clear this up a bit.

Regardless, in Toronto I was annoyed at the fact that BustedHalo's target audience was not really present until later in the week..closer to the time of the Pope's mass (which, in hindsight, makes sense...young adults can't take a random week off of work, while teens are on summer vacation).

The two more spiritual elements for me were just the presence of the Pope being there for young people, despite his ailments, despite the travel. Secondly, there was a really beautiful night when the sun was setting on the Canadian summer when Fr Brett Hoover turned to me and said: "Look at all these people from all over the world, from all different cultures, here on this beautiful night...and it's all because they're Catholic."

Indeed.

Tomorrow: My experience of JPII.