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Was talking to an Australian Resident who said :
"Australia is telling its residents to GO ABROAD to MAKE ROOM for the WYD delegates? Why isn't Australia big enough?"
Or perhaps -it's the Airlines who will be providing budget fares to make people exit the country during exciting July 2009 dates.
The point of the WYD is to make Australia's Youth (Hillsong?) meet the world's Catholics, if the few Catholics go out, who will be meet? Who will tour us? The Australia' WYD Board is already people strapped as is.
Thursday, August 2, 2007
No Fair! American Kids get a "YouTube Style" contest to go to Sydney for Free!
No Fair! American Kids get a "YouTube Style" contest to go to Sydney for Free!
The World Youth Day Challenge isn't even supposed to start officially until October, and already it's drawing entries to compete for the challenge's grand prize – an all-expenses-paid trip to Sydney, Australia, for World Youth Day next year.
The challenge:
1. Create a video running less than five minutes that uses the World Youth Day theme song, "Receive the Power."
2. Get people to vote for that video than for any others in an online competition.
The contest is sponsored by God Squad Communications, part of Radio Peace, the radio ministry of the Archdiocese of Miami.
Registration will close Sept. 15 for those wishing to enter the contest. Participants register online as teams of two at www.wydchallenge.com. By Oct. 15, people will be able to visit the site to start casting votes for their favorite videos.
The challenge's Web site says that the two people with the most votes over the course of the competition will win a trip to Sydney.
"There are several video teams that are being organized," Wills said. "They'll have to complete one challenge per month. The video will be able to go up (on the Web site) for the whole month. The people will be able to go to the Web site and vote for the videos."
Wills said a travel agency in Miami is footing the cost of the round-trip flights to Sydney. Current airfare quotes from the East Coast of the United States place a Sydney flight at $2,500-$3,000.
Visitors to the Web site also will be able to give to a "pilgrim assistance fund" to enable other young Catholics to go to Sydney.
The competition is open to any young Catholic in the United States.
Without yet having seen any of the entries himself, Wills said, "It'll definitely be very interesting, in this YouTube age, with the creativity that's out there. It's why we felt this would be a good way to get our message out there.
"We thought it would be a competition solely for this (arch)diocese but when we developed the idea, developed the program, we felt there would be people all across the United States with this talent," he added.
And now how about us in the whole world? Ahem. Ahem.
The World Youth Day Challenge isn't even supposed to start officially until October, and already it's drawing entries to compete for the challenge's grand prize – an all-expenses-paid trip to Sydney, Australia, for World Youth Day next year.
The challenge:
1. Create a video running less than five minutes that uses the World Youth Day theme song, "Receive the Power."
2. Get people to vote for that video than for any others in an online competition.
The contest is sponsored by God Squad Communications, part of Radio Peace, the radio ministry of the Archdiocese of Miami.
"The promotion is doing far better than we expected," said Christopher Wills, the marketing manager and programming director for Radio Peace. News of the contest was released in mid-July.
Registration will close Sept. 15 for those wishing to enter the contest. Participants register online as teams of two at www.wydchallenge.com. By Oct. 15, people will be able to visit the site to start casting votes for their favorite videos.
"By May of '08 we'll know the winner of the competition, which gives plenty of time left to be able to book the flight," Wills said in a phone interview with Catholic News Service July 27. World Youth Day is scheduled for July 15-20 next year in Sydney.
The challenge's Web site says that the two people with the most votes over the course of the competition will win a trip to Sydney.
"There are several video teams that are being organized," Wills said. "They'll have to complete one challenge per month. The video will be able to go up (on the Web site) for the whole month. The people will be able to go to the Web site and vote for the videos."
Wills said a travel agency in Miami is footing the cost of the round-trip flights to Sydney. Current airfare quotes from the East Coast of the United States place a Sydney flight at $2,500-$3,000.
Visitors to the Web site also will be able to give to a "pilgrim assistance fund" to enable other young Catholics to go to Sydney.
The competition is open to any young Catholic in the United States.
Without yet having seen any of the entries himself, Wills said, "It'll definitely be very interesting, in this YouTube age, with the creativity that's out there. It's why we felt this would be a good way to get our message out there.
"We thought it would be a competition solely for this (arch)diocese but when we developed the idea, developed the program, we felt there would be people all across the United States with this talent," he added.
And now how about us in the whole world? Ahem. Ahem.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Inane Comments from Australia's ABC News comparing Hillsong and Catholics.
Here's an interview (you may listen to it here) from ABC News, that "World Youth Day 'may entice youth back to church'
Notice the insensitive but correct comment from:
First of all, Bob is correct that a website must be all about you. Specially if its trying to sell anything -- even faith.
However, to say "Its not about God at all" when describing Hillsong slaps Hillsong in the face to an extent.
There's also the small fact the there are practicing Catholics inside Hillsong Church.
There's also the small fact that Hillsong's membership is completely dwarfed by the Catholic Church world wide.
But yes, with regards to website design, of course most sites are better than the Vatican but not all sites Catholic is URL'd Vatican.VA. There's scores of All about You sites, like
http://www.Bosanchez.ph or even http://www.catholic.com. And of course who co uld forget the perhaps longest running Religious Video Podcast: Preacher In Blue Jeans. It's even probable that Bob hasn't even been to the Wordpressed glory of SQPN? These are all Catholics making a difference in the Internet. Let it not be said that the church who gave birth to almost all the renaissance art - doesn't know a thing about beautiful sites.
I think there needs to be proper perspective here.
The interview in whole:
Notice the insensitive but correct comment from:
BOB PRITCHARD: And if you look at the Hillsong website on the other hand, it's contemporary, it's sophisticated, it's fun. It's all about training you for a life of significance and, you know, your life of significance keeps flashing up. It's all about you, it's not about God at all.My comments on this:
First of all, Bob is correct that a website must be all about you. Specially if its trying to sell anything -- even faith.
However, to say "Its not about God at all" when describing Hillsong slaps Hillsong in the face to an extent.
There's also the small fact the there are practicing Catholics inside Hillsong Church.
There's also the small fact that Hillsong's membership is completely dwarfed by the Catholic Church world wide.
But yes, with regards to website design, of course most sites are better than the Vatican but not all sites Catholic is URL'd Vatican.VA. There's scores of All about You sites, like
http://www.Bosanchez.ph or even http://www.catholic.com. And of course who co uld forget the perhaps longest running Religious Video Podcast: Preacher In Blue Jeans. It's even probable that Bob hasn't even been to the Wordpressed glory of SQPN? These are all Catholics making a difference in the Internet. Let it not be said that the church who gave birth to almost all the renaissance art - doesn't know a thing about beautiful sites.
I think there needs to be proper perspective here.
The interview in whole:
(PM - Monday, 9 July , 2007 18:50:00 Reporter: Ashley Hall)
MARK COLVIN: In these days of short attention spans, with a seemingly endless supply of new diversions, the Catholic Church in Australia is facing a quandary.
Next year's World Youth Day celebrations are expected to entice a large number of young people to the Catholic faith.
But who will be there to greet them? And how can the church encourage back into the fold the estimated 4.2-million Australians who call themselves lapsed Catholics?
Ashley Hall reports.
ASHLEY HALL: The Catholic Church in Australia is facing a huge challenge.
How can it encourage its lapsed members back into the fold?
JOHN BATHERSBY: There are a number of people who are alienated from the Church, feel that it may be in some way old fashioned, too authoritarian, but I'm not sure that that's the major reason. It's seems to me that the people I've come in contact with give as an excuse that life is just too busy.
ASHLEY HALL: The Archbishop of Brisbane, John Bathersby, is at the front of a mission to welcome worshippers home to the church, in time for World Youth Day next year.
The Australian Bishops Conference estimates up to 4.2 million people identify as Catholic, but don't regularly attend church. And about half of them could be drawn back by parish outreach programs.
JOHN BATHERSBY: People like that would need opportunities where they can talk about perhaps what has caused pain in their life, and it may be as simple as just a disagreement at some time with a priest, and maybe a disagreement over, over particular matters of morality. It may be those things. And I think people like that would need to be able to talk things through and to feel that they are still very much welcome in the Church and that, that the parishes would like to see them back in their midst.
ASHLEY HALL: A national recruitment office has been set up, and each parish is being urged to develop a strategy to bolster its numbers.
But the Religious Affairs Commentator for the Sydney Morning Herald, Chris McGillion believes the Church may be underestimating the number of people who've fled because they're uncomfortable with aspects of its doctrine.
CHRIS MCGILLON: They're well known these days. One is the ban on artificial contraception, the other is a ban on even discussing the possibility of women priests. There's a good deal of disenchantment with the continuing insistence on a celibate priesthood. There's disenchantment over attempts to kind of marginalise homosexuals in the life of the Church and so forth. These kinds of Catholics are largely the kind of middle to liberal progressive Catholics, who in many cases very much still cherish their Catholic culture and even their Catholic rituals, but are disconnected from the institutional Church on the, on the basis of its teaching.
ASHLEY HALL: And those lapsed Catholics, he says, would be difficult to bring back into the church, especially via a parish-based campaign.
BOB PRITCHARD: The Catholic Church is all about guilt, it's judgemental, the website looks like something from the Da Vinci Code, half of it's in Latin.
ASHLEY HALL: The marketing guru Bob Pritchard says the Catholic Church could learn a thing or two about recruitment from the Hillsong Church, where membership lists continue to grow.
BOB PRITCHARD: And if you look at the Hillsong website on the other hand, it's contemporary, it's sophisticated, it's fun. It's all about training you for a life of significance and, you know, your life of significance keeps flashing up. It's all about you, it's not about God at all.
ASHLEY HALL: Archbishop John Bathersby is planning to do exactly that.
JOHN BATHERSBY: We should be able to learn from all those things. But I think, ultimately I think we're still in a growing process.
ASHLEY HALL: And growing quickly, it seems.
Newspaper advertisements placed as part of the recruitment campaign are already paying dividends.
The Catholic Enquiry Centre has received 700 calls in the past three weeks.
MARK COLVIN: But doing some lightning mental arithmetic, even if all those 700 calls were translated into conversions as it were, and projecting it over the next year, that'd still only be an extra 12,000 members of the Church. Ashley Hall reporting.
From: http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2007/s1973960.htm
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Guy Sebastian , Gay Marriage?? This is an issue?
Someone insinuated at the Catholic News Agency that Guy isn't deserving as a winning composer for the WYD- because of his views on Gay Marriage. I dropped in for a chat on the comment box. Too bad its moderated.
Simple Facts about WYD. Can non-catholics join?
World Youth Day is the largest youth event in the world and will be held in
Sydney 15-20 July 2008 World Youth Day is the Catholic Church's Day for youth and with youth World Youth Day gathers young people from around the world to build bridges
of friendship and hope between continents, peoples and cultures
Inspired by great gatherings of the world’s youth for Palm Sunday events in Rome, Pope John Paul II established World Youth Day as an annual event and to reach out to the next generation of Catholics
World Youth Day has been held since 1986, when the first event was held in Rome. It is celebrated every year in Rome and at a Diocesan level and a major
international celebration is held every 2-3 years in a different host city.
Sydney will host the 23 World Youth Day and the 10th World Youth Day
outside Rome
World Youth Day is an invitation from the Holy Father to all the youth of the world without any kind of discrimination. While World Youth Day celebrates young people’s Catholic faith, its message is relevant for all people. The event welcomes people of all backgrounds wishing to join the experience
World Youth Day has previously been held in Rome, Paris, Cologne (Germany), Czestochowa (Poland), Denver (USA), Toronto (Canada), Buenos Aires (Argentina), Manila (The Philippines) and Santiago de Compostela (Spain)
Sydney’s role as host of WYD08 started with the Handover of the World Youth Day Cross and Icon of Our Lady on Sunday 9 April 2006 following the traditional Palm Sunday Mass in St Peter’s Square
Note: Yes, there is no discrimination, this is not a "catholic event only", its a "youth event". So just like the Vatican 2, if you're not Catholic, you're welcome!
Sydney 15-20 July 2008 World Youth Day is the Catholic Church's Day for youth and with youth World Youth Day gathers young people from around the world to build bridges
of friendship and hope between continents, peoples and cultures
Inspired by great gatherings of the world’s youth for Palm Sunday events in Rome, Pope John Paul II established World Youth Day as an annual event and to reach out to the next generation of Catholics
World Youth Day has been held since 1986, when the first event was held in Rome. It is celebrated every year in Rome and at a Diocesan level and a major
international celebration is held every 2-3 years in a different host city.
Sydney will host the 23 World Youth Day and the 10th World Youth Day
outside Rome
World Youth Day is an invitation from the Holy Father to all the youth of the world without any kind of discrimination. While World Youth Day celebrates young people’s Catholic faith, its message is relevant for all people. The event welcomes people of all backgrounds wishing to join the experience
World Youth Day has previously been held in Rome, Paris, Cologne (Germany), Czestochowa (Poland), Denver (USA), Toronto (Canada), Buenos Aires (Argentina), Manila (The Philippines) and Santiago de Compostela (Spain)
Sydney’s role as host of WYD08 started with the Handover of the World Youth Day Cross and Icon of Our Lady on Sunday 9 April 2006 following the traditional Palm Sunday Mass in St Peter’s Square
Note: Yes, there is no discrimination, this is not a "catholic event only", its a "youth event". So just like the Vatican 2, if you're not Catholic, you're welcome!
How To Join the Pilgrims in Sydney
To go to Sydney for the World Youth Day, DO NOT JOIN weird "companies" who say they have "track records" in bringing people to WYDs in the past. These are scams or worse, they're legit but they already have a record with previous WYDS-that their pilgrims NEVER RETURN to the the country of origin. What does that mean to you? ALL your visas will NOT BE APPROVED --at the last minute. This has happened in Manila last time (to Germany).
The best way is to align yourself to YOUR PARISH or to a big group like Light of Jesus Community. Get in touch with them and join their contingent.
The best way is to align yourself to YOUR PARISH or to a big group like Light of Jesus Community. Get in touch with them and join their contingent.
Guy Sebastian makes Official Song..Hmm?
.- The official hymn for World Youth Day in 2008 has just been chosen. “Receive the Power” is the title of the official hymn for the celebration of the 23rd World Youth Day in Sydney. The song was written by young Australian composer Guy Sebastian. “We were looking for a hymn which would be involving and inspiring”, WYD 2008 co-ordinator Bishop Anthony Fisher OP explained.
“Above all it had to be a song which would fill the young participants with enthusiasm and capture the essence of the World Youth Day theme chosen by the Pope: You will receive the power of the Holy Spirit which will descend upon you and you will be my witnesses. Guy's song meets with all these requisites: it inspires the youth of the world to accept Jesus' call to follow him to the ends of the earth as his witnesses. ”
Receive the Power was chosen after a selection process involving over 120 pieces. The Pontifical Council for the Laity, which is involved in preparations for WYD on the part of the Holy See, is in agreement with the choice of the hymn. “It combines the necessary musical and thematic elements as well as being easy to sing for people of different languages. We are convinced that Receive the Power WYD hymn will be played and sung by young Catholics everywhere on the occasion of World Youth Day and from then on”, the Bishop said.
Australian composer singer Guy Sebastian made a name for himself in 2003, when he started composing music for his parish at the age of thirteen. In 2005, Guy was nominated World Vision Ambassador and went to Uganda to film' a documentary on the difficulties people face there due to poverty and civil war. He has also written numerous songs for Australian singers.Personal note: I thought Guy is a member of Hillsong Church? It turns out he's Catholic? Well there are Caths in Hillsong anyway.
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