World Youth Day 2011- From Madrid to Manila

"PLANTED AND BUILT UP IN JESUS CHRIST, FIRM IN THE FAITH" - SAINT PAUL


What is World Youth Day?
It is a great worldwide encounter with the Pope which is celebrated every three years in a
different country. This time it will be celebrated in Madrid from Aug 16-21, 2011.

World Youth Day's held in Madrid, Spain.

Since Madrid is miles away from PH, Ateneo De Manila University with the Jesuit

Foundation organized this "World Youth Day 2011- From Madrid to Manila".

We arrived 7pm & apparently, we're late. We have to get our i.d.'s first before the ushers

let us enter the venue. While waiting, we had the chance to take photos.

left to right. JJ, John, MiAnn, Jer, George, Laine, Van, Kristine,

Neil, Francis, Me & JM!

We then proceed to the location. The program is about to start. When 

Fr. Arnel Lagarejos (He is our parish priest way back elementary.) officially started

the Mass, the rain fell. After a while, it stopped. It's like the Sky is cooperating

and giving way for the celebration of the WYD2011.

Cardinal Gaudencio Rosales delivered his opening remarks right after the mass.

It's a 15-min talk and the crowd is quite silent while listening to his words. His talk's over

so the hosts came up the stage & introduced the next speaker. They described him

as tall, celebrity &athletic. Everybody's screaming Chris Tiu's name. And so he was.

Chris Tiu talked about the values we should not take away from ourselves. 

He also shared that a product endorsement is on the queue but he rejected it after 

consulting his family. "It's quite a big money.", he said. In the contract, he'll be endorsing

the product in topless. He kept his values and not blinded by money.

After Chris Tiu, Boom Enriquez, representative of Ninoy & Cory Foundation, talked

about being in the line of the unqualified. Boom was with Fr. Manoling Francisco. They

asked assistance (cash donations) for the endangered species. Fr. Francisco talked with Gelo,

a 6-yr old child. Gelo is cute and an extemporaneous speaker. He asked everybody to walk

with him "sa landas na matuwid."

Then, intermission by the official dance troupe of ateneo high school- INDAK.

Another performance by the Youth for Christ band.

Jimmy Bondoc's there. He played "stupid love" by Salbakuta with his guitar then

said that the crowd is cheap sabay bawi that he was just kidding and the Rap group is a

good friend of him. He performed 4 songs- The Man Who Can't Be Moved by The Script,

Saranggola sa Ulan by Gary Granada, Pana-Panahon by Noel Cabangon & his phenomenal

and heart moving song, Let Me Be The One.

Another sweet performance by the Bukas Palad Ministry. Bukas Palad is a Filipino, Roman 
Catholic musical group that composes, records and performs original religious music. Since 1986,
Bukas Palad has recorded over a dozen albums with the Jesuit Music Ministry and the Jesuit Communications Foundation, a ministry of the Philippine province of the Society of Jesus based in 
the Ateneo De Manila University Campus. The group has performed in over a hundred solo concerts 
across the country, and abroad in Japan,
HongKong and in the united States.


Another is the Ateneo Chamber of Music who performed the theme song of the World Youth Day
 1995 held here in Manila- Tell The World of His Love. 



Bishop Chito Tagle talked about dreams.
He said that the deepest dream is to encounter Jesus. "Faith is to see, love & follow Jesus 
Christ", he said. "The gift you have received, give it as a gift in return and that gift is FAITH."

Bishop Honesto Ongtioco of Cubao talked about the dying faith of the people of Spain.
He is calling the attention of the people of Spain who spreaded Christianity up to the farthest
 parts of the world. They spreaded the word of God yet the fire of their faith is dying.
"Good thing World Youth Day 2 is in Madrid", he said.


"Huwag tanggalin si Kristo sa ating buhay", Ongtioco said.