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Fiesta kicks off Melbourne's pilgrimage to WYD2011 Madrid

Melbourne’s WYD 2011 journey officially kicked off on Friday 20 August 2010 when over 700 young people squeezed into St Brigid’s in North Fitzroy.

Young people gathered for praise and worship led by Deacon Rob Galea and then joined in a beautiful, vibrant Mass celebrated by Archbishop Hart, with music led by "Shalom", a Spanish speaking youth group. There were so many young people attending that not all could fit into the church with crowds spilling out into the carpark! The crowd then moved over to the parish hall and  celebrated Spanish-style with a Fiesta that included traditional Spanish music, dancing, and tapas.

The event marked the 12 month countdown to the next WYD and saw the opening of registrations to the three Melbourne Pilgrimages. It was also announced that Archbishop Hart has already signed up and is the number one pilgrim. Other young people hoping to join the pilgrimages can visit www.wydtours.com.au as soon as possible to reserve their place.

The night was especially thrilling for Katherine Galea and Paola Villaneuva, as it was announced that they had both won $2000 to go towards their pilgrimage cost.

"When I was driving into the fiesta tonight, I thought how amazing it would be if I won one of these grants," Katherine said. "I just can't believe that I did!"

Another $2000 prize will be drawn on Thursday 23 September. To join the raffle, click on the 'wyd2011 competition' tab located in the left menu (under World Youth Day) and complete the entry form. Entries close 22 September 2010 at 11.59pm. Read the conditions of entry below before entering.

Organisers were blown away by the support and the enthusiasm of the young people gathered and look forward to more WYD action over the coming 12 months! We are extremely thankful to Fr Delmar and St Brigid's Parish for their tremendous support, our army of volunteers who worked tirelessly on the night and all those who attended and made the evening such a success. Click on the thumbnails below to view some images from the night.

 

World Youth Day 2011 Pilgrim Grants Competition Guidelines

To be drawn on Thursday 23 September 2010:

  • Entry is free.
  • Only one entry ticket per person.
  • Entrants from Competition One will automatically go into the draw to be a part of Competition Two. Other people can enter the competition by visiting the AOY website www.aoy.org.au after the 20/8/10, clicking “Enter the draw” in the World Youth Day menu and filling in the online entry form.
  • Entries close on Wednesday 22nd September 2010 at 11:59pm.
  • Prize will be drawn on Thursday 23rd September 2010 at 9pm at Holy Hour CulturED Café, Cardinal Knox Centre, Lansdowne Street, East Melbourne.
  • There will be one winner receiving a $2000 grant to go towards the cost of one of the three World Youth Day 2011 pilgrimages organized by the Archdiocesan Office for Youth, an agency of the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne.
  • The grant can be used on any of the three Archdiocese of Melbourne pilgrimage options: “The Real Madrid”, “Italian Roadtrip” or “Footsteps of Jesus”.
  • The winner must be eligible to attend World Youth Day 2011 as a part of the Melbourne Archdiocesan Pilgrimage (e.g. must be aged 16-35 years and fulfill other necessary criteria.) The prize is not transferable to a friend or family member.
  • The winner cannot be a previous winner of an AOY WYD2011 competition.
  • Winner will be contacted by the email address they supply in the entry. Proof of identity must be provided. Should the winner not be contactable after 30 days, the prize will be re-drawn and the new winner notified.
  • Employees of the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne and their family are not permitted to be a winner.
  • Prize not redeemable for cash and will be forfeited if the winner is unable to attend World Youth Day 2011 for any reason.
  • By entering this competition entrants agree to join the AOY mailing list and receive a monthly e-newsletter containing information about WYD2011 and other upcoming AOY events. After the competition, people can unsubscribe by clicking the “unsubscribe” link on any of the e-newsletters.