Theme Song for WYD 2011 Approved

World Youth Day (WYD) Madrid now officially has a theme song. The anthem has been praised by members of the Pontifical Council of the Laity and the Vatican ministry responsible for WYD and approved to be performed at the celebration in Madrid.

The theme song was composed by Enrique Vázquez Castro, a Spanish priest and renowned liturgical music composer. Vázquez Castro studied piano and composition at the "Jesús Guridi" Conservatory of Music in his hometown, where he earned his degree in Composition and Instrumentation in 2000. He was awarded second place at the 8th Francesc Civil Composition Competition for his composition "Ahots urdiña" (1995), and first place at the Cristóbal Halfter XVIII Composition Contest (1996) for his original piece "Itsaropen izarra." He also served as musical director for the National Church of Santiago and Montserrat in Rome while pursuing advanced studies in theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University.

The lyrics were written by Monsignor César Franco, auxiliary bishop of Madrid. The stanzas of the hymn emphasize the closeness of youth to the holy humanity of Christ in the typical style of Spanish mystical traditions.

The theme song consists of seven verses and a chorus based on the WYD theme, "Planted and built up in Jesus Christ, firm in the faith", which was taken from the letter of St. Paul to the Colossians. The chorus reads:

Firm in the faith, we walk in Christ,
Our friend, our God.
All glory to Him, all glory to Him!
We walk in Christ, firm in the faith.

Now that the theme song has been approved, it will be translated into the official languages of WYD and recorded in three versions: one liturgical, one instrumental for large choirs, and one pop version with guitar accompaniment.

The theme song will make its debut on the feast of the Virgin of the Almudena on November 9, 2010 at the cathedral in Madrid. It will also be distributed worldwide on the Internet, both as an audio track and a music video.

Volunteers Needed for WYD 2011

On May 18 the campaign for recruiting volunteers will officially begin. For all those who would like to give their time and talents to serve the youth of the world and the city of Madrid, send your requests to voluntariosinternacional@jmj2011madrid.com. More info will be available at http://www.madrid11.com/. Or click on this link for the complete form: http://en.madrid11.com/JMJ2011ING/REVISTA/cabecerasypies/PortadaVoluntarios.asp?vmenu=OTROS

Your Video Shorts Needed

World Youth Day needs short videos about what you are doing to get ready for WYD. What are you doing to fundraise? To prepare spiritually? Videos will be used on the official WYD website, so you could be famous!!! Send videos to: comunicacion@jmj2011madrid.com.

Info for Facebook Users

For all those who use Facebook, you can go to the official World Youth Day page for English speakers. This is an interactive page where you can see all new information, but also ask questions or give suggestions. Some of the things you will find on there will be: A place to give advice and recommendations for the official WYD merchandise, current discussions, info on how to connect with other Catholics in your area, and so much more.

For more info and to join, go to http://www.facebook.com/worldyouthday.

Patron Saints Chosen for WYD 2011

The organizers for World Youth Day 2011 have released the list of the patron saints for the event, which “encompasses the history of the Church in Spain, from the first saints of Madrid.”


According to a press release, “The Holy See has confirmed the proposal of the patron saints for World Youth Day (WYD): St. Isidore, St. John of the Cross, St. Maria de la Cabeza, St. John of Avila, St. Teresa of Avila, St. Rose of Lima, St. Ignatius of Loyola, St. Rafael Arnaiz and St. Francis Xavier.”

“The list of the patrons encompasses the history of the Church in Spain, from the first saints of Madrid (St. Isidore and St. Maria), through the founders of the Discalced Carmelites and the Society of Jesus (St. Teresa and St. Ignatius), a great missionary to the East (St. Francis Xavier), the summit of mystic literature (St. John of the Cross), the force behind diocesan priestly spirituality (St. John of Avila), the first saint of Hispanic America (St. Rose of Lima), and a young person from our times (St. Rafael Arnaiz), who was recently canonized,” the statement said.

“All of these saints are of Spanish origin, in order to root WYD in the culture of the host country, as was done at WYD in Cologne, where the saints chosen were related to the Christian history of Germany,” organizers explained.

They also announced the Holy See has confirmed the choice of Cibeles Square, one of Madrid’s most renowned locations, as the place where Pope Benedict XVI will be welcomed by the young people on Thursday, August 18. They added that the vigil and final Mass with the Holy Father will be held at the Cuatro Vientos airfield, where John Paul II met with young people in 2003 during his final visit to the country

Sited from: http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/patron_saints_announced_for_wyd_2011_in_madrid/