The WYD DVDs everyone wants are here at last

Want to recapture the special experience of World Youth Day in Sydney? Whether you were there or not the official DVDs have been released after several delays.
After two delays in production and numerous local calls of inquiry to the Perth World Youth Day Office and Catholic Youth Ministry, the official DVDs covering and commemorating World Youth Day (WYD) have been released.
The DVDs went on sale last month and depict the events of WYD over July 15 – 20 this year when almost half a million pilgrims journeyed to Sydney to be with Pope Benedict XVI and their fellow Catholics, young and old.
Working with St Paul’s Publications, World Youth Day Sydney have put together a box set of DVDs covering all of the major events, a highlights DVD and a DVD covering the Stations of the Cross – a feature of every international WYD.
The box set covers the event’s opening Mass, the arrival of Pope Benedict in Sydney Harbour, the Stations of the Cross that took place throughout the streets of Sydney’s CBD, the evening vigil with the Holy Father at Randwick and the final Mass.
In their advertising, organisers invite those who went to WYD to “listen again to the powerful messages of each event and let them inspire you to build with Christ and his Church a new civilisation of life, love and truth.”
The DVDs will retail for prices set by WYD Sydney: $79.95 for the box set and $24.95 for the Stations of the Cross DVD or the Highlights Package DVD.
The highlights DVD – featuring over three and a half hours of content – includes an introduction from Sydney Archbishop, Cardinal George Pell ruminating on the impact of WYD in Sydney.
“Christianity makes a difference to daily living and WYD enabled us to restate our central claims in dramatic fashion. Our first task always being to present Jesus Christ – his teachings and his followers who make up the Church,” the cardinal said.
In the DVDs’ production, Bishop Anthony Fisher OP, the event’s coordinator, says that the DVDs should not be simply a memento of a massive event but should also prompt introspection and a desire to evangelise.
“Now the challenge is to be the WYD Apostles that Christ and his Vicar have called us to be,” the bishop said. “Ask yourself what the Holy Spirit is calling you to do next in worshipping God and building a better Church and world.”
The three WYD ‘08 DVDs are available from The Record Bookshop. Email the Bookshop’s Caroline at: bookshop@therecord.com.au or phone (08) 9227 7080.