By: Kristen Tomaiolo
Posted In: News
Photo credit: SALVEToday
Four Salve Regina students are winners of the university’s World Youth Day competition. Each student will receive $2,300 grants for the expenses of attending World Youth Day 2008 festivities July 15-20 in Sydney, Australia.
Ian Kerr ’08, Elissa Slason ’08 , Maura O’Toole ’09 and Katherine Shaw ’10 were the competition winners. The four were chosen based on their short essay on why they wanted to go and how they planned to share the experience with the Salve Regina community on their return. This is the 23rd World Youth Day. This year’s theme is ‘You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses.’ Acts 1:8. World Youth Day is the largest youth event in the world headed by Pope Benedict XVI. This weeklong event celebrates the Catholic faith and helps young people around the world come together to build friendship and hope. The week includes prayer, song, concerts, drama, sharing, liturgy, catechesis and a vigil and closing Mass with the Pope. Pope John Paul II invited young people from around the world to participate in the first World Youth Day in 1984. Kerr heard about World Youth day from information that was posted on MySalve. Kerr thought seeing the Pope would be an amazing opportunity and the new environment and culture of Australia was intriguing. “Hopefully, I will get a chance to renew my faith, meet a lot of interesting people and share in a powerful spiritual experience with them,” said Kerr. On his return, Kerr plans on sharing his experience with as many people as he can. He’s thinking about creating a slide show presentation of his personal experience during the weeklong events. For more information on the event visit: http://www.wyd2008.org
