Closing World Youth Day … and waiting for the next

Pilgrims pray before the beginning of Mass.

The morning of the final day of World Youth Day 2011 in Madrid dawned fair. A few clouds at first, but the weather was otherwise perfect. It would warm up significantly, as it did every morning, but so would we.

After the night before, we were ready for this Mass. The night before, the emcee had said that the pope wanted to come through the crowd in his popemobile, to greet all of us. We were excited — another chance to see the pope at close range! So long as we could clear the avenues between sections (a challenge indeed!), the pope would come through.

Quatro Vientos and the four winds

Fr. John Putzer stands behind the makeshift altar at the sports center in Velillas de San Antonio.

Saturday was the day on which hundreds of thousands of pilgrims would begin to gather at Quatro Vientos Aerodrome in the southwest of Madrid, where we would gather with the pope for a prayer service, Adoration, and, the following morning, Mass.

The day began early, with the priests of our group celebrating Mass. We gathered in the courtyard on the side of the sports center, where a temporary altar (a folding table with an altar cloth, crucifix, and world youth day candles) was set up. The pilgrims sat and knelt on the hard bricks as we began the day in prayer and celebration of the sacrifice of our Lord.

To see the pope

Pope Benedict XVI comes past the Madion Diocesan pilgrims in his popemobile.

On Thursday, Aug. 18, Pope benedict XVI arrived in Madrid. He flew into the airport, where he was greeted by officials and a delegation of youth. From there, he was to come into Madrid proper, where he would be welcomed by the youth of World Youth Day and celebrate a short prayer service.

For those of us in the crowd, this was our first opportunity this WYD — for many, the first opportunity in person — to see the pope. The experience was anticipated greatly.

World Youth Day registration high; many want to volunteer

Young people gather for a Mass and concert May 8 at an arena in Madrid, marking 100 days until the start of World Youth Day 2011. Preparations for the international event in Madrid are heating up and organizers are promising a "fiesta," adding a Spanish flavor to the traditional opportunities for prayer, friendship, music and religious education. (CNS photo/courtesy of World Youth Day 2011)

In Spain, pope to hold nine major meetings with young people

Puerta de Alcala in Madrid, the symbolic main entrance to the city, is lit in blue in this evening view showing a fountain with the goddess Cybele in Plaza de Cibeles Nov. 14. Pope Benedict XVI will enter Madrid through this entrance for an evening recep tion in the plaza during the Aug. 16-21, 2011, World Youth Day in Madrid. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)

Pope to get manga comic treatment in time for World Youth Day

This is the cover of a 32-page Pope Benedict XVI manga comic book, which will be distributed in August during World Youth Day in Madrid. Jonathan Lin runs Manga Hero, which may well be the world's only publisher of Catholic manga comics. (CNS photo/court esy Manga Hero)

By Mark Pattison Catholic News Service

WASHINGTON (CNS) — Move over, Spider-Man. Here come some new comic-book heroes.

Among this new breed of heroes are Pope Benedict XVI, St. Paul and Old Testament figure Judith.

They are the stars of comic books done in a style older generations never saw in the comic-book rack at the neighborhood drugstore growing up. The genre is called manga, a Japanese genre of cartoons and comic books, and Jonathan Lin, who runs Manga Hero, may well be the world’s only publisher of Catholic manga comics.