This covers the Days of Encounter in the Diocese of Essen, starting on Thursday with your arrival at our host parish in Essen (St.Maria Königin), and ending when you leave for WYD on Monday.
Detailed information about some of the events are accessible at the Bistum Essen website.
General remarks: click on the dates below to access the daily trip reports and pictures.
Travel: Your transportation to all events will be arranged by our host parish. You will be picked up at the airport.
Meals: Our host parish will provide you with breakfast; lunches and dinners will be here as well, or at the various events.
Thursday, August 11: (Pickup at Düsseldorf Airport; welcome at St. Maria Königin
Because of the strike at British Airways in London, our group got stranded in London. BA will resume flying at 8 pm on Friday, at the earliest, and we have no word yet when they will make it to Düsseldorf.
Friday, August 12: Day of social activity; arranged by the Diocese.
Welcome at the Essen city hall by the Mayor; playground improvement at a Kindergarden/preschool facility; welcome party in downtown Essen.
Evening youth fest downtown Essen
Last BA flight today to Dusseldorf cancelled. Still stranded in London - hopefully we will know more tomorrow.
We were scheduled to get the first flight in the morning to Dusseldorf, but that was cancelled as well. Now they are booked on BA940, arriving in Dusseldorf at 3:45 pm, hopefully with their luggage! Check back later for more news.
We are here! It is Saturday evening, and everything is fine, the first pilgrimage is over. Lots of food, friends, and eventually the sleeping bag.
"KulTour" - visit various cultural and historical sites in Essen.
Evening mass at our parish;
Finally, we are on track! Welcome dinner party with the parish. What a great evening! Watch the pictures of the trip and welcome party!
Morning mass with our parish. We received a warm welcome by the parish. Emerson read the gospel in English, and we sang the "our father" in our language as well. But the highlight was the "New Life" song at the end, which brought the whole parish to their feet!
Afternoon: Outdoor mass and festival with Bishop Felix Genn in the famous soccer stadium "Auf Schalke" in Gelsenkirchen, home of the German soccer vice champion FC Schalke 04. What great event! Following a warm-up program by a Rock abnd, we had a service with Bishop Genn and several other bishops, including our very own Cardinal Marc Oulette from Quebec. The readings were made in various languages, German, English, Spanish, Portugese, French, Polish, and even Tagalog. Bishop Genn's sermon was great, in German, of course, but with the English text simulatously projected. A bief homily in French by Cardinal Oulette followed. The music, the singing, the whole atmosphere was great. Too bad we did not have our Canadian flag (in the still missing luggage), but we approached several other Canadian groups. Watch the pictures!