Many pilgrims coming to Australia for the first time will not believe how cold it is here in July.
In July 2007, the overnight temperature in Sydney got down as low as 3.7 degrees. This will be a shock to the 200,000 + pilgrims planning an overnight sleep out in the middle of Randwick racecourse.
Pilgrims coming from Palau, Vanuatu and other pacific countries do not own warm clothing because all year round in their country, they enjoy summer warmth.
As a part of the Pilgrim Partner Support Program (PPSP) Vinnies is looking at supplying pilgrims with warm clothing.
Talks are bringing together possibilities to supply pilgrims with clothing from a central store in Sydney and an outpost in Darwin.
This will comfort many pilgrims in their plight to attend WYD08 due to the enormous cost of travel already being outlaid.
The number of pilgrims set to attend WYD has markedly dropped after initial pledges due to such costs.
Stephen Crittenden’s April 2, 2008, Religion Report states “Thirty-seven-thousand young people from the United States registered their interest initially, but fewer than 20,000 are expected to actually make the journey now. The Americans are blaming the high airfares. And of course the higher the cost of travel, the more likely that World Youth Day will be a jamboree for rich kids, and the less likely that it will truly reflect the African, Latin American and Asian diversity of the worldwide Catholic church."
It has become an important focus of WYD organisers to keep the doors to WYD08 open to all youth of the universal church, rich & poor. Efforts around Australia to reach PPSP targets testifies to the open & generous heart of the church, our authentic focus on social justice and a commitment to the future church in Oceania & Australasia.
Organisations such as Vinnies are making all this possible.
Keep up the good work!
See the comment posted for post WYD08 updates!
In July 2007, the overnight temperature in Sydney got down as low as 3.7 degrees. This will be a shock to the 200,000 + pilgrims planning an overnight sleep out in the middle of Randwick racecourse.
Pilgrims coming from Palau, Vanuatu and other pacific countries do not own warm clothing because all year round in their country, they enjoy summer warmth.
As a part of the Pilgrim Partner Support Program (PPSP) Vinnies is looking at supplying pilgrims with warm clothing.
Talks are bringing together possibilities to supply pilgrims with clothing from a central store in Sydney and an outpost in Darwin.
This will comfort many pilgrims in their plight to attend WYD08 due to the enormous cost of travel already being outlaid.
The number of pilgrims set to attend WYD has markedly dropped after initial pledges due to such costs.
Stephen Crittenden’s April 2, 2008, Religion Report states “Thirty-seven-thousand young people from the United States registered their interest initially, but fewer than 20,000 are expected to actually make the journey now. The Americans are blaming the high airfares. And of course the higher the cost of travel, the more likely that World Youth Day will be a jamboree for rich kids, and the less likely that it will truly reflect the African, Latin American and Asian diversity of the worldwide Catholic church."
It has become an important focus of WYD organisers to keep the doors to WYD08 open to all youth of the universal church, rich & poor. Efforts around Australia to reach PPSP targets testifies to the open & generous heart of the church, our authentic focus on social justice and a commitment to the future church in Oceania & Australasia.
Organisations such as Vinnies are making all this possible.
Keep up the good work!
See the comment posted for post WYD08 updates!
1 comment:
I believe St Vincent de Paul set up a huge warehouse full of warm clothing in Sydney for those who were not prepared for the cold climate and for those who could not afford to buy clothes for the WYD week. Well done to Tim Tailor and the Vinnies team. Check them out on line & assist their ongoing missions! http://www.vinnies.org.au/youth/home.cfm
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