Catherine visited Germany between the 11th - 21st August to be with Pope Benedict as part of a World Youth Day (WYD) 2005. Here she shares with us some of her thoughts and feelings, plus some of the events that happened and the people she met during her journey to meet a Pope... Day 1 We travelled to Germany today and it was good to meet up with old friends and meet new ones at the airport.  | | Cath, Andy, Lizz and Simon |
I am travelling with a group of 60 from the Birmingham Roman Catholic diocese and with three others (Lizz my sister; Andy my fiance and Simon my mate) from my parish - Sacred Heart, Droitwich. On the bus to Kreuzau, our host parish, I was excited about arriving but also a bit nervous that our host family would not speak English and that I wouldn't feel comfortable in their home. Now that I am there though I know I had nothing to worry about. At the parish centre we were welcomed by the mayoral representative and the local priest, and introduced to our hosts. My sister and I are staying with a nice family who speak very good English, and they have 2 daughters, the eldest of whom is on holiday in Berlin (so Lizz and I are staying in her room) and Nora who is 13. When we arrived at the house we had a nice chat and played a board game to learn about German geography, and then went off to bed. Day 2  | | Inside the recycling centre |
Today started with Mass in Kreuzau church, which included lots of hymns in German and was quite difficult to follow, but I managed to pick out a few of the prayers to join in as we went along. Our second port of call was a tetrapak-recycling centre and it was interesting to see how the drinks cartons were split into card, plastic and aluminium, and the card used to make facing paper for corrugated cardboard, but the factory was very hot and very smelly so we were glad to leave too! In the afternoon we went to a workshop for disabled people who struggle to integrate into the workplace. Here those who were well enough could earn some money by packing printer paper or dog food and those who could not work at all just attended a day care centre.  | | Workshop for people with disabilities |
They all had the afternoon off to take part in a music workshop where a small band played songs for everyone to join in singing, dancing and playing different instruments. I really enjoyed this time encouraging the others to join in clapping, hitting and banging along to the music. I felt very relaxed and accepted around these people and our visit was certainly enjoyed by all! The day finished with a game of football - Germany beat England 5–2! - and a BBQ. Day 3 The priest, Fr. Des, who came with us from Coventry, said Mass this morning in both German and English and some of our pilgrims played the music for Mass. It was great and everyone, German or English was able to join in. After Mass, group pictures were taken and a tree was planted in the church grounds in remembrance of our visit, with a plaque explaining its meaning.  | | Planting a remembrance tree |
I thought it was a lovely idea and a good way of remembering us. Most of the group then went swimming at a water park in the town, but Lizz and I went with our family to the old fortified hill town of Nideggen where there were great views across the Rhone and all around the whole area, great ice cream too! After lunch, back in the parish as a group, our hosts took us into Bonn for a look around. For a former capital I found it quite small and quiet with many preserved historic buildings. Here we saw Beethoven’s birthplace and went around an engaging museum of modern German history. We finished a pleasant day with a wonderful meal in a restaurant on the banks of the Rhine, just perfect. Day 4 Today was an early start to catch a coach into Aachen for a local youth festival for all the overseas pilgrims staying in the diocese.  | | Inside Aachen Cathedral |
In the city there were concerts, exhibits and many places of interest open for us to look around, and we took the opportunity to look around the city hall, or Rathaus, with beautiful fresco paintings on its walls and ceilings. We also visited the cathedral, or Dom, which was small and octagonal but beautifully decorated with huge stained glass windows The cathedral contains the relics of Charlemagne and also his stone throne. Through the thunder rain and hail we walked from the city to the equestrian stadium along with thousands of other pilgrims to attend Mass. The atmosphere was great with singing and chatting all the way. The crowd was very excited and noisy through Mass, but it was a good day and we had a nice meal with our family when we got home. Day 5 Today was a sad one. It was time to say goodbye to our hosts and head off into the big city for the main events of World Youth Day.  | | Cath, Lizz and their German host family |
Our hosts had opened their homes and their hearts to us, had become good friends in a very short time, and I would have been happy to stay there a lot longer. We had a meeting in the community hall, and the Mayor’s representative and the local priest spoke again of what a good week the town had had and we (those from Birmingham) had chance to thank the community and give account of our favourite bits of our stay. After lots of hugs and swapping of contact details we met the other half of our group, who had been staying in a different parish, on the bus and drove to Dussledorf. Once we had settled into the hotel, the whole group went into the old town to watch an unofficial opening ceremony for World Youth Day in Dussledorf and then I went off with my Andrew and Simon, and their friends, for a drink to try to get to know the other half of the group a bit better. Day 6 The events officially began in the afternoon, so the morning was free to explore the city. It was suggested that we do one cultural and one spiritual thing, so in a small group, I took a walking tour of the old town, admiring the architecture and then nice shops! We then spent some time at a church where the Sisters of Charity were holding 24 hour adoration. It was fantastic to step out of the hectic city and just to spend time in the peaceful church in the presence of God. In the afternoon, opening Masses were held in Bonn, Cologne and Dussledorf. The crowds waiting to get into Mass were as big as those inside and people were being turned away, so I stayed at the hotel to watch on TV. Cardinal Meisner welcomed everyone to the celebrations and seemed really pleased to see so many young people there, which was nice to see. Day 7 Today we travelled by tram, train and foot to Leverkusen for a morning of catechesis. This was a time of songs of worship, a talk from a bishop, questions, and finished off with Mass. This was held in the Bayer Leverkusen football ground and attended by 14,000 English-speaking pilgrims. Cardinal McCarrick from Washington DC spoke about us as pilgrims and compared our journey to that of the three magi (from the theme of WYD – We have come to worship him). His message was simple but very effective, that we should not be concerned with the materialistic world that we live in, but follow only god on our journey through life. The whole morning was uplifting and engaging and I left feeling renewed and on a huge high. In the evening we all went to an Irish bar in the city to meet up with Liverpool, Lancaster and Shrewsbury diocese for a party, and the craic was enjoyed by all! Day 8 This morning we went back to the Bay Arena for catechesis, this time with the Archbishop of Halifax, Novascotia.  | | Bay Arena |
Just before Mass began, attention turned to pictures being transmitted on the big video screens. When the crowd realised that it was the Pope’s plane landing in Germany they went wild cheering and chanting ‘Benedicto!’. It was an amazing feeling that one man could have such a following, and in turn, such support for what he stands for, and that he is coming to see us! Some of our group went to Cologne in the afternoon to see the Pope arrive, but most could not bear the heat, crowds and hours of queuing, so watched it on TV. It was good to see the Pope meeting people, but it was a shame that most of his speech was in German, so we didn't understand it. I hope it will be better for the Papal Mass on Sunday. Day 9 Instead of going to Leverkusen this morning, we gate-crashed a catechesis session in Cologne especially to see the speaker, Archbishop Vincent Nichols, our local Archbishop. He was really pleased to see the group, and we also go to meet up with a lot of other English pilgrims, some of whom were friends from home. The music was lead by a great band form Hexham & Newcastle who bought along their new bishop, Kevin Dunn, who was formerly the Episcopal vicar for the Kidderminster deanery.  | | Photo with Archbishop Vincent Nichols |
Archbishop Vincent spoke about our journey home, again comparing it with the three kings, the hesitation we have in following the right path and the sacrifices we must make for God. He talked about how fulfilling his priesthood has been and how it is always an option that young catholics should consider. It was a fantastic talk and the Archbishop answered a range of questions with empathy and an eloquent confidence in the church. In the afternoon, the Archbishop met us and guided the group around Cologne cathedral to see the relics of the magi as well as the interior of a stunning church. We also had the opportunity to leave a candle from Birmingham with the diocese of Cologne. We then all went out for a drink, and the Archbishop came with us and took time to talk to each one of us. This was a really a special time for us all. Day 10 We had a bit of a lie in this morning and then took ourselves, plus everything we need for a night under the stars, off on the train to Marienfelt, the location of the vigil and Papal Mass on Sunday.  | | Pope John Paul II bell |
We arrived mid-afternoon and settled into a spot at the back of the field, and entertained ourselves until the time the Pope arrived. The whole area was packed when we arrived and our allocated spot had been taken. It was quite scary walking through the crowds, trying to find our way around. Once we had settled, it was easier to get our bearings and sat down. I wasn't really aware of the magnitude of the event, you could only see what was around you, but when I stood up and began to look around, there were people as far as the eye could see, an amazing sight. The Pope arrived in the evening and began a service of prayers, music and even some juggling.  | | Camping out to see the Pope |
He referred back a lot to Pope John Paul II and christened a bell after him during the service. It was very exciting to be in the same place as the leader of the whole Catholic Church and to hear him speak, and by candlelight, the service was also very atmospheric. After Benedict left, the music continued and eventually, fully clothed in my sleeping bag on a plastic sheet in the mud, I managed to get some sleep. Day 11 I woke very early this morning having had not much sleep at all, but at least it didn't rain on us! The first thing I did was give an interview, over a mobile phone, to Phil Simpson, who presents the Sunday Breakfast show on BBC Hereford & Worcester, describing the atmosphere and anticipation of what was to come, and then the Pope arrived back for Mass. Today I had a radio with me so was able to listen to the English translations of what was said, which made a big difference to feeling part of the mass.  | | Pope Benedict XVI on a big screen |
Pope Benedict seemed so happy to see us all and spoke in a very caring manner. The more he said, the more I grew to like him, having not really had an opinion of him, since he was elected so recently. It was an amazing experience to share Mass and my faith along with 1 million other young Catholics as well as being present at Pope Benedict’s first international appearance since his election. I hope to see more of him in the future and that the world will grow to love him. World Youth Day 2008 was announced to take place in Sydney, Australia and I am hoping to be there to repeat this great experience. Click on the link below to see more photos taken during Catherine's journey to see the Pope in Cologne. | 
