After being back in England for some time reality still hasn't quite hit!  In fact, my watch is still set to Brazilian time, that way it's easier to imagine what the amazing Brazilian friends we made might be doing.

WYD was truly a once in a lifetime experience and an absolutely wonderful one at that.  So much has been brought back from it.  From knowledge and a greater understanding of faith, our catechises, to new friends both from Brazil and from both ends of the diocese, not to mention the amazing memories.

I've been trying very hard to think of a best memory, but it's really very difficult because there are just so many, and not all of them are just from the trip.  When I got home and talked with people about the experience it hit me just what an amazing thing we had been part of and all the build up to get there.

Thank you so much to everyone who helped us in our fundraising either by time or donations or both.  We really appreciate how blessed we are to have such a wonderful parish and we hope can give something back to you, from our experiences, after you have given us so much.  We look forward to supporting our next WYD pilgrims!

The answer is the final Mass of WYD on Copacabana!

What an amazing night! All those people kipping on the beach, under the stars. Even if some of us only got a few hours of sleep there was a wonderful stillness across the beach.

In the morning we were gently awoken by the sun rising over the Sugar Loaf Mountain. If that didn't work, then at 7am the WYD theme began to play. As people stirred the snooze button was pressed and about 10 minutes later it was the first rehearsal for the Flash Mob. I managed this rehearsal from inside my sleeping bag!

Mass was beautiful. The Holy Father spoke beautifully. He was encouraging and challenging. He repeated that we must not be afraid to go out and make disciples, we go together as a community of faith, we go with Jesus.

At the end of Mass the Holy Father announced that the next WYD will take place in Krakow in 2016. Fr Jan, our Chaplain who Polish, was very pleased and excited by the news. In fact, the Pope could have said anywhere and I will be there. This experience has been truly amazing and I cannot wait to join another group as wonderful as this one has been at another WYD.

Three million young people from every corner of the world descended on to Copacabana beach.  The beach, in the past has seen many concerts and many crowds but none like the World Youth Day pilgrims.  The beach became a city, groups of pilgrims marked the areas where they would be sleeping and leaving their belongings with little walls of sand and flags acting as markers.  There were hundreds of little streets that you had to weave in and out of to find your group or play in the sea or use the facilities.  The atmosphere was incredible. 3 million young people united in heart, united in faith, united with their Holy Father.  

Before the Vigil there was plenty of opportunity to set out the sleeping bags, have a dip in the sea - the waves on Copacabana were incredible, the biggest I've ever seen.  I still have a few grazes from being dragged by the waves through the sand.  As the day rolled on we opened our lunch packs and ate our cat food (It was better than cat food but looked a bit like it and came from a tin!).  There were lots of different acts on the stage area from all over the world and these were interspersed by rehearsals for the worlds biggest flash mob!  Yes, I learned the dance!

About an hour before the Vigil you could feel the excitement rising.  Crowds headed up to the rails to be able to catch a glimpse of the Pope as he passed.  When he did come there was a huge amount of cheering, waving and chanting.

The Holy Father gave an address to all of us gathered on the beach.  Fr Jan and I sat among the pilgrims translating as the Pope spoke in Spanish.  His words were incredible, they are well worth reading and reflecting on - not just for young people.  At times it was hard to translate because I just wanted to listen and take it in - I think I gave the gist of it though!

After the Pope's address he lead us in a time of prayer before the Blessed Sacrament.  What a powerful moment, 3 million people all together adoring Jesus in the most Holy Sacrament.  To have that number of people in stillness, in quietness, in prayerfulness was amazing.  Once the Holy Father gave us Benediction we began our night under the stars, with the crashing of waves in our ears ready for World Youth Day itself and the final Mass.

Here we go... Filling you in on what has been happening during the World Youth Day encounter.

On Friday night it was pretty clear that the site of the Vigil and the final Mass needed to be moved.  So, rather than trekking over to Campus Fidei the new home of the Vigil and Mass was going to be on Copacabana Beach.  This meant a slightly easier day for the pilgrims who enjoyed a lie in.  For the priests of the group, it meant an even earlier start!  We had been invited to attend the Mass with the Holy Father that was for bishops, priests, religious and seminarians in the Cathedral of Rio.  We got there in very good time and took our seats among the other priests from all over the world.

The Pope passed by us on the way into the Cathedral which was amazing, he was closer to us than at the welcome ceremony.  What was amusing was one priest crawling on his hands and knees through legs and benches to get a look at Pope Francis - it wasn't very dignified but it goes to show you how keen we all were to be close to our Holy Father.

Mass was wonderful and the Pope Francis preached superbly.  He spoke in Spanish so myself and Fr Jan were able to pick up a little of what he said.  He was very challenging and told us that we should not simply open the doors of the church and wait for the people to come but to go out of our churches and presbyteries and find the people.  I can't wait to read through the homily to see what else he had to say to us.

The Pope came past us again on the way out, I managed to get a little clip of him as he passed, we were so close! There was a lot of love and affection for our Holy Father at that Mass and indeed for the whole of World Youth Day.  After his election as Pope I was holding my ground as a 'Benedict Boy' but after these days in Rio I am also a 'Franciscan Fan'.  As they have been chanting all over Rio, "Viva la Papa!"

We are back! Home safe and sound. It has been an incredible and beautiful experience. All three of us can only reiterate out heartfelt thanks for you support and generosity.

The last few days have been very full and sleep was needed more than blog writing (sorry)! Hopefully, the Tweets and Facebook updates have kept you in the loop. Keep coming back here over the next weeper so and we'll fill you in on some of the things we have been up to.

We're hoping that before September we can have an evening with you to share our experience first hand... It will be a bit more than just pilgrimage snaps!

To whet your appetitie, here's a view from Sugar Loaf Mountain.

Many apologies. The days are very long and very full and I can't quite remember where we are up to! The experience, the prayer, the atmosphere, the people, everything has been incredible. I noticed that I have been repeating the same adjectives over the last week or so. All the tweets, blogs, Facebook updates and even conversations from the whole group have run out of ways of putting into words just how... amazing... this time has been. I just hope me, Alex and Heather are conveying just how special this time is.

Yesterday we had Bishop Frank Caggiano giving the Catechesis. He was full of life and really filled us with enthusiasm for living out our faith.

He said to us that we are the friends of Jesus. Jesus asks us all a question, will you follow me? Answer yes, and your life will be changed. Very encouraging to us all.



In the evening, we attended the Papal Welcome ceremony. Over a million young people from every corner of the world cheered to meet the Holy Father.The Vicar of Christ passed so close to us.

Today was equally amazing. Catechesis by a bishop from Malta who again, encouraged us to be faithful because we will change the world. He spoke very well about going to confession regularly, especially priests!

A very moving event was Stations of the Cross with the Holy Father. Around two million young people united in prayer on Copacabana Beach. The meditations, the music, the Stations themselves all made up for a wonderful time of prayer.

Tomorrow, the priests of our group have been invited to concelebrate Mass with the Holy Father. It is a great privilege to have been invited and we are all looking forward to celebrating this Mass. Our pilgrims will be especially in our prayers tomorrow morning.

Tomorrow night, is the Vigil. Again, a few million young people on Copacabana Beach praying and sleeping under the stars ready for the Mass of World Youth Day.

I'll sign off now until we come back from Mass on Sunday. Before I do just one last thought... Every single person on this trip has been challenged and changed for the better in some way. I know my own priesthood has been renewed and deepend by this wonderful experience. I can't wait to share some of my experiences with you when I return next week.

Let's pray each other this weekend!

Many apologies. The days are very long and very full and I can't quite remember where we are up to! The experience, the prayer, the atmosphere, the people, everything has been incredible. I noticed that I have been repeating the same adjectives over the last week or so. All the tweets, blogs, Facebook updates and even conversations from the whole group have run out of ways of putting into words just how... amazing... this time has been. I just hope me, Alex and Heather are conveying just how special this time is.

Yesterday we had Bishop Frank Caggiano giving the Catechesis. He was full of life and really filled us with enthusiasm for living out our faith.

With shoes still full of sand from Copacabana Beach and droopy eyes from the late night we made our way on the metro to Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception for the English speaking Catechesis and Mass. We had the privelage of hearing the wisdom of Bishop Anthony Fisher from Australia. This opened our eyes to just what an amazing event we are part of and that God chose us to come on this pilgrimage for all our individual reasons and personal journeys but also what we take home to share with others from our experience.

In a very packed church we had a joyful and emotional Mass featuring some great actions accompanying our hymns. Bishop Anthony have a very inspiring homily really bringing home that God loves us and wants nothing for us but to be happy. The procession of the gifts had a wonderful image of the diversity of those who have travelled to WYD with flags from various Countries processing with the gifts.

After all that the pilgrims went off for a treat, which was a pizza!

Morning from Rio! Heather will be posting something a little later today. We're getting ready to head off to day 2 of Catechesis! Will share more when we can.

So far we have been trying to post just once a day. This evening we were at the official opening ceremony and Mass. As with so many things during this pilgrimage the opening ceremony was incredibly moving.

The thousands and thousands of young people who were on Copacabana Beach began chanting 'Esta es la joventud del Papa' which means 'this is the youth of the Pope'. Who says the Church is no longer irrelevant to young people? On the beach this evening the young chanted with almost one voice that they are the youth of the pope, we are faithful to him and to Christ.

Please pray for us and for all young people attending WYD this week. May all young people be the young people of the pope, may they show the world that following Christ means something in today's world.

We went up to the statue of Christ the Redeemer on Corcovada Mountain. Thanks to the altitude it was certainly the highest point of the pilgrimage!

The weather was a little inclement, by inclement, I mean it was freezing and very wet. In fact we were in a cloud. Suffice to say that the views were very limited. Christ was still before us, his incredible figure piercing through the cloud.

In the chapel beneath the statue The Lord was exposed in the Blessed Sacrament. Truly, Christ was present with arms extended embracing all the pilgrims who would come to Rio for this experience.

Even in the wet there was no dampening of spirits. It was great walking in the clouds.

You maybe noticing a more than normal amount of facial hair on photos of me, some of the other priests and some of the pilgrims. We're sporting a pilgrim's beard... I can't wait to shave and feel human again!!