ARCHDIOCESE OF BALTIMORE DELEGATION JOURNAL:
GREETINGS FROM LA
Very early on Saturday morning, we lifted off on our pilgrimage to World Youth Day. After a transfer in Atlanta, we arrived after many hour of travel in Los Angeles and discovered it was still morning locally.
We exited LAX and took a quick tour around the “City of Angels.” We stopped to see the Walt Disney Concert Hall, quite an impressive piece of architectural than many of the young people recognized from the recent movie “Get Smart.” We went to Olvera Street, which was identified as the birthplace of Los Angeles. There were many Mexican restraints there and so we grabbed lunch.
We celebrated mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, also a unique piece of architecture. Each participant received a pilgrim’s necklace featuring the Crossen cross, which is a prominent part of our archdiocesan seal.
We made a brief stop in Hollywood and then we returned to LAX for our flight to New Zealand. Because of the length of our twelve hour flight to New Zealand and the International Date Land, we all anticipate completely sleeping through Sunday!
Megan from St. Veronica: Saturday, July 12 was an eventful day. My Saturday morning began at 4am at BWi airport. The airport was quite empty when I got there but I still could feel the excitement the air. The moment that I had been counting down for weeks had finally arrived, and I could tell that the other pilgrims felt the same way. It was no longer a mere thought or dream. It was real!
Check-in went smoothly. My baggage wasn’t overweight and I proceeded the security checks with ease. But, all the excitement must have made me extremely tired, because I don’t recall the take-off from BWI or from our transfer point in Atlanta. I did manage to stay awake long enough to become friends with Sean A, Whom I’ve nicknamed my travelling partner as we sat next to each other on all the flights.
After a long morning in flight, I got to “restart” my morning in Los Angeles, where our group spent most of the twelve hour layover in touring the city. We visited the “birthplace” of LA which had a marketplace rich in Mexican culture. While there, Father Augustine, Raynard, and I enjoyed a delicious authentic Mexican meal. (Taco Bell has nothing on this place.) I also had an opportunity to see a Native American dance troupe perform in the courtyard. Next, there was Mass at the Cathedral. The size and the beauty of the building, with its lavish architecture and gorgeous artwork and stained glass, were enough to humble any person. If that wasn’t enough, the homily delivered was. The message was simple, yet powerful in its relevance: “Prepare yourself for God’s work.” So much so, I find myself after a fun-filled day of site-seeing, including a visit to Hollywood and the amazing Walt Disney Concert Hall, sitting on a plane thinking of how I can open my mind and heart to the wonderful life-changing experience ahead. Overall, I must remember that.
