athletes flock to daily masses at olympic sites
4 Aug
Credit: Vatican Radio
Olympics: Athletes flock to daily Mass
Vatican Radio, 04/08/2012 12.06.14
(Vatican Radio) Who would have thought that the London Olympics could offer the perfect opportunity to put New Evangelisation into practise? The Catholic Church of England and Wales- that’s who, and in particular the network of Christian Churches and communities in the host city: “I am delighted to be able to report that aside from there being three masses celebrated everyday within the athlete’s village itself, specifically for the athletes and officials, the highest attendance at any of the religious services is at daily Mass. There are a number of athletes and officials from various nations who are coming there every day and they are placing Christ at the beginning and the centre of all they do”, says James Parker, Catholic Executive Coordinator for the 2012 London Games.
One year ago this month Pope Benedict XVI told the future of the global Church that their task was to bring Christ to ends of the earth and among contemporary society. Again this month he repeated this mandate in his missionary prayer intentions for August: “that young people, called to follow Christ, may be willing to proclaim and bear witness to the Gospel to the end of the earth”
Proving that they earnestly take him at his word, young Catholics from 21 nations have invaded London’s Olympic borough, pitching their tents on the green lawns of Bonaventure’s Catholic high school, creating their own Joshua Camp.
Over the next three days as Olympic fever reaches high pitch, these young men and women, boys and girls will be attending daily catechesis, prayer vigils, Eucharistic Adoration and Mass in the shadow of the Olympic stadium.
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