Pope Benedict XVI waves before leaving St. Joseph's Seminary after a meeting with youth in Yonkers, New York April 19, 2008. (Reuters)
Showing posts with label youth rally. Show all posts
Showing posts with label youth rally. Show all posts
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Rally with Seminarians and Youth at St. Joseph's Seminary
5-6:30 p.m. - Rally with Seminarians and Young People at Saint Joseph Seminary
NOTE: This post will be updated as more information becomes available on this topic.
5-6:30 p.m. - Rally with Seminarians and Young People at Saint Joseph Seminary Approximately 25,000 young Catholics from throughout the United States, including 5,000 seminarians will be in attendance at Saint Joseph Seminary, 201 Seminary Avenue, Yonkers.
- 12:00 noon - Concert begins. Concert activity ceases when the Pope arrives at seminary for the meeting with youth with disabilities. That meeting inside the chapel will be shown on screens to the rally crowd.
- 5:00 p.m. - Arrival, welcome, and rally
- The Pope arrives via popemobile at the rally stage
- Cardinal Edward M. Egan makes opening remarks
- Three youth speak
- 10 youth present gifts of dark bread, light bread, rice, unleavened bread and maize, representing the five continents
- Eight youth present birthday gifts to the Pope. They include the following: a spiritual bouquet; the book “Empire State Catholics: A History of the Catholic Community in New York State”; and images of six individuals who were born in or served in New York and have been declared saints, blessed or venerable by the Catholic Church: Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, Saint John Neumann, Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, Venerable Pierre Toussaint and Padre Felix Varela
- Address: Pope Benedict XVI
- Cardinal Edward M. Egan presents 15 young people to the Pope for a personal greeting
- The Pope blesses the crowd and departs to the popemobile, which takes him back to the motorcade in front of the seminary
- 6:30 p.m. - Rally concludes
Text of Pope Benedict XVI's address to Seminarians at St. Joseph Seminary (Yonkers, NY).
Coverage
- Gary Stern (Blogging Religiously) calls it a "mini-World Youth Day":
There are people everywhere. I ran into Father Luke Sweeney, head of vocations for the Archdiocese of NY, and he said that it’s like a mini-World Youth Day.
Hoping for some future priests in that crowd, Father?
The music is loud, just like at a rock concert. Rappers and rockers praising Jesus and pumping up the pontiff. Kelly Clarkson is supposed to come on in about 15 minutes.
I’ve talked to a lot of kids from burbs and, almost to a person, they seem kind of stunned to be with so many other Catholic kids, all waiting for the pope. . . .
- Pope cheered at youth rally in Yonkers, By Ernie Garcia, Jorge Fitz-Gibbon and Leah Rae. (The Journal News April 19, 2008):
YONKERS - Pope Benedict XVI rode around the grounds of St. Joseph’s Seminary in the popemobile to cheers from thousands as a youth rally was getting under way that has drawns tens of thousands of young people and families.
The pope arrived at the seminary shortly after 4:35 p.m. and blessed 50 disabled children and their caregivers in the seminary’s chapel.
He glided up the aisle, going back and forth to children lined up on either side of him touched their heads very gently.
In his blessing, he extended his hands over the crowd and said God had blessed them with life and differing talents and gifts so they could serve him in various ways in a “sign of hope for everyone.”
He continued: “Sometimes, it is challenging to find a reason for what appears only as a difficulty to be overcome or even pain to be endured. Yet, our faith helps us to break open the horizon beyond our own selves to see life as God does.”
The pope was seated in the chapel with the Deaf Choir of the New York Archdioces to his left. They expressed a hymn in sign language, and he applauded them.
Three little girls went up to the altar and gave him a child’s painting. Then, he left the chapel and got into the popemobile for the trip to the great stage set up on the grounds for the youth rally.
Tens of thousands of young people and families from all over the country were gathered on a field next to seminary building. They filled hours of waiting by watching performers on a large concert stage, with screens at either side and flanked at the left with the seal of the Archdiocese of New York and at the right with the papal seal. ... (Read More)
- Pope urges young people to banish evils of drugs, poverty, racism, by Benedicta Cipolla (Catholic News Service April 19, 2008):
Addressing a crowd of 25,000 young people and seminarians, Pope Benedict XVI spoke of the "monster" that cast a shadow over his own childhood and urged the current generation to banish the darkness that exists today.
Speaking April 19 at a boisterous rally on the grounds of the Archdiocese of New York's seminary in Yonkers, the pope said that while young people now enjoy democracy's freedom, "the power to destroy does, however, remain."
Pope Benedict offered a personal reflection on his own youth in Germany, "marred by a sinister regime that thought it had all the answers." Nazism, he said, "banished God and thus became impervious to anything true and good." The pope was forced to enroll in Hitler Youth as a boy but soon stopped going to meetings. Last year he said at a youth meeting in Germany that he decided to become a priest after witnessing the Nazis' brutality.
At St. Joseph's Seminary, the pope said the evils of substance abuse, homelessness and poverty, racism, violence and the degradation of girls and women result in people being treated as objects and the denial of God-given human dignity.
Pope Benedict called the manipulation of truth "particularly sinister." When freedom disregards absolute truth, relegating it instead to the private sphere of the individual, relativism takes hold, he said.
Truth is neither an imposition nor a simple set of rules.
"Ultimately truth is a person: Jesus Christ," he said.
[...]
During the meeting, young people from schools in the region presented the pope, who celebrated his 81st birthday April 16, with several gifts, including framed photographs of Sts. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Frances Cabrini and John Neumann, Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha and Venerables Pierre Toussaint and Father Felix Varela, all of whom were either born in or served in New York. He also received books on the history of the Catholic Church in New York; bread, rice and maize, which symbolized the varied cultural background of the youth present.
[...]
The rally gathered young people and seminarians, and Pope Benedict encouraged those studying for the priesthood to "reject any temptation to ostentation, careerism or conceit. Strive for a pattern of life truly marked by charity, chastity and humility, in imitation of Christ," he said. ... (Read More)
- Benedict and the Young, by Colleen Carroll Campbell:
It happens every time the pope encounters a young crowd, and it is happening again at the papal youth rally in Yonkers: Young Catholics will turn out in droves to give Pope Benedict a warm, rock-star welcome. And many of their elders will watch and wonder: What do they see in him?
- Musicians play "Papalpalooza" for Benedict, by Deborah Evans Price (Reuters April 19, 2008)
Sunday, April 6, 2008
TobyMac to perform at Papal Youth Rally
Marking his third performance at an event with a Pope, TobyMac has been confirmed as a performer at a Youth Rally on April 19th at St. Joseph’s Seminary in Yonkers, NY. ...Kevin Michael "Toby" McKeehan -- aka. "TobyMac" -- formerly comprised one third of the popular CCM rap-group DC Talk, before launching his own solo career.About being asked to perform before the Pope at the Rally, TobyMac commented, “It's an honor to participate in this Papal visit. Not too many artists are given this opportunity. We have great respect for the work he does.”
- "Dropping a Joy Bomb", by Andree Farias. Interview w/ TobyMac. ChristianMusicToday.com | Christianity Today February 2, 2007.
- MySpace.com/TobyMac
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Kelly Clarkson will sing "Ave Maria" for Pope Benedict XVI
According to Joseph Zwilling, spokesman for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York, Clarkson will perform a few of her songs at a youth rally at St. Joseph's Seminary in Yonkers on April 19, as well as Ave Maria after the pope arrives.Clarkson, who is touring Europe and will turn 26 on April 24, is looking forward to her date with Benedict.
"I was so excited to be asked to sing for the pope," Clarkson told the Star-Telegram via her publicist. "I grew up singing church music, and it's always been a dream of mine to perform Ave Maria. To have that dream come true on such a special occasion is truly a blessing."
[...]
Clarkson, who grew up in Burleson and attended Crestmont Baptist Church, is one of American Idol's biggest success stories. The singer-songwriter's three albums, including last year's controversial My December, have sold more than 18 million copies worldwide. She's reportedly working on a new record with a variety of songwriters (including OneRepublic's Ryan Tedder). The disc is tentatively set for release at the end of the year.
Debbie Pesnell, a Crestmont member and Clarkson's Burleson High School choir teacher, said she's "thrilled" that her former pupil will have an opportunity to perform before one of the world's most visible religious figures.
"Knowing Kelly like I know her and knowing how soft her heart is, she will be more moved than anyone there," Pesnell said. "She will be so honored and very gracious -- she will perform beautifully."
Middletown, NY band Full Armor to play Papal Youth Rally
Middletown, NY's "Full Armor" will play Papal Youth Rally, by Ashley Kelly. Times-Herald Record March 18, 2008:
OTISVILLE — The letter arrived in Douglas Hutchings mailbox on a mundane day in February.But the news inside the envelop changed all that: His band, Full Armor, had been selected to perform for the Pope.
The upbeat folk/rock Christian band will be performing at the Archdiocese of New York's Meeting with Youth and Seminarians. The April 19 youth rally at Saint Joseph's Seminary in Yonkers will be in honor of Pope Benedict XVI's visit to New York. The papal journey to the U.S. will be Benedict's first since his papacy began in 2005.
Full Armor submitted their music in December, but weren't sure they would get the nod.
"I was optimistic, but I had no idea 150 groups were being considered — I thought no way," said Hutchings, the band's manager.
After reading the letter from the archdiocese he called the band's vocalist, Tara Lakeman.
"We were freaking out on the phone," Lakeman said. "It's probably the most honorable performance I've ever done and probably will ever do in my life."
Full Armor, a six-member band, was formed in 2005 at the request of a former priest at Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Middletown. The priest asked Hutchings, now 19, to form a band that would perform every Sunday for the youth Mass. The band now performs at Mount Carmel and numerous churches throughout the area regardless of denomination.
Monday, March 10, 2008
A Fragile Tomorrow to play for Papal Youth Rally
I hope we get to meet the pope," says sophomore drummer Dominic Kelly, 16. "I guess he's going to be real busy with everything." . . .Access to the pope's tour is in high demand. Bands who wanted to perform at the youth rally had to submit CDs and DVD performance footage to the pontiff's entertainment committee.
The band mates from A Fragile Tomorrow - vocalists Dominic and his twin, Sean; their guitarist brother, Brendan, 13; and new addition Shaun Rhoades, 21, on bass and keyboards - shipped performance videos and demo tapes from their new album to the Archdiocese of New York.
Last week, in the mail, they got the next best thing to a recording contract. "Congratulations," said a letter from the archdiocese. Their band was deemed "engaging and appropriate" enough to play for the bishop of Rome, who is himself an accomplished pianist.
The Kelly boys insist they aren't nervous. They go to church every Sunday.
- A Fragile Tomorrow [Official website]
- MySpace/afragiletomorrow [MySpace Band Page]
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