It's time to celebrate World Youth Day 2008 which is being held in Sydney from July 12-27. Meet fellow Australians and pilgrim Italians near you. Even the Pope is coming!

Many pilgrims are taking advantage of the global gathering of young people during World Youth Day Sydney 2008 (WYD08) to hold large national and community gatherings.

From 12 to 26 July, over 30 gatherings will take place across Sydney with the largest expected to be:

• the multi-nation Neo-Catechumenal Way lay movement at The Domain (up to 25,000)
• the Lebanese Maronite community at Parramatta Stadium (20,000)
• The Italian Scalabrini community at Club Marconi in Bossley Park (15,000) and
• 12,000 from the USA, also in The Domain

An expected 3,000 French will celebrate Bastille Day on 14 July in the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, while 10,000 friends of the Franciscans will meet on Bondi Beach and 8,000 Asian youth will meet in Sydney Olympic Park.

"An international World Youth Day is a chance for pilgrims to hold large celebrations with those who belong to the same religious order or language group who would otherwise not have the chance to meet and share their faith," said Fr Mark Podesta, WYD08 spokesman.

"Take the Neo-Catechumenal Way for example. They have members in many nations across the world. At WYD08 they can all meet together in one place and celebrate their faith and their particular 'charism' with the founder of their movement.

"Or the French might want to celebrate in their own language, inviting French speakers to their gathering from France, Africa and the Pacific, as well as Francophone Australians. The Italians will do the same.

"Whether national or community based, these are a great way for young people to strengthen their faith and meet like-minded people at WYD08.

"Around 142,000 pilgrims will attend one or more of these national and community gatherings."

The list of large gatherings is found below. For more information visit the WYD08 website: www.wyd2008.org

Sydney will host the 23rd World Youth Day from 15 ? 20 July. Hosted by the Catholic Church but open to all, WYD08 will mark the first visit to Australia by His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI.

Examples of National and Community Gatherings

Saturday 12 July

· 2,000 Legionaries of Christ - The Youth and Family Encounter @ Intercontinental Hotel (9.00am ? 9.00pm)

Sunday 13 July

· 400 Filipino Gathering @ Mary Immaculate Church Bossley Park (11am - 4pm)

· 20,000 Maronites @ Parramatta Stadium (from 7am)

· 2,000 Legionaries of Christ - The Youth and Family Encounter @ Intercontinental Hotel (9.00am - 9.00pm)

· 15,000 Scalabrini Gathering @ Club Marconi, Bossley Park (9.30am - 6.00pm)

Monday 14 July

· 3,000 French Gathering for Bastille Day @ SCEC (4.00pm - 8.00pm)

Tuesday 15 July

· 500 Antioch Gathering @ Randwick Labor Club Hall (10.00am - 12.00pm)

· 200 South Africans @ Holy Cross Church Bondi Junction (10am - 12.00pm)

· 1,000 Indonesian Gathering @ SCEC (10.00am - 1.00pm)

· 4,500 Queensland Gathering @ Hordern Pavilion (12.00pm - 3.00pm)

· 4,500 Men Alive Gathering @ Hordern Pavilion (7.00pm - 10.00pm)

· 7,000 Oceania ACTIV8 Committee @ Tumbalong Park (9.00am - 9.00pm)

Wednesday 16 July

· 600 St Vincent de Paul Gathering @ Sydney Grammar School (1.00pm - 8.00pm)

· 10,000 Franciscan Gathering @ Bondi Beach (2.30pm - 8.30pm)

· 4,500 New Zealand Gathering @ Hordern Pavilion (2.30pm - 5.00pm)

· 2,000 Christian Brothers/Edmund Rice Network @ Christian Brothers High School (2.00pm - 4.00pm)

· 2,000 South Australian Gathering @ Riverview College (2.00pm - 4.00pm)

· 1,000 Chinese Gathering @ Hurstville (2.00pm - 6.00pm)

· 100 Christian Life Movement @ Stanmore (3.00pm - 7.00pm)

· 10,000 Italian Gathering @ Sydney Entertainment Centre (3.00pm - 8.00pm)

· 2,500 Vietnamese Gathering @ Liverpool (6.30pm - 11.00pm)

· 8,000 Asian Youth Gathering @ Sydney Olympic Park (6.00pm - 10.00pm)

· 500 Chilean Gathering @ All Saints Liverpool (7.30pm - 9.30pm)

Thursday 17 July

· 400 Austrian Youth Gathering @ Glebe (6.30pm - 10.00pm)

· 150 International Young Christian Students and International Young Christian Workers Members Gathering @ Camperdown (7.00pm - 10.00pm)

Friday 18 July

· 400 Denver Youth Gathering @ Holy Cross Church Bondi Junction (1.00pm - 2.30pm)

· 700 International Federation of Catholic Parochial Youth Movements @ SCEC (6.30pm - 9.30pm)

· 400 Darwin Diocese Youth Gathering @ Glebe (7.30pm)

Saturday 19 July

· 12,000 American Gathering @ The Domain (8.30am - 11.30am)

Monday 21 July

· 500 French Parisian Gathering @ Holy Cross Church Bondi Junction (10.00am - 3.00pm)

· 25,000 Neo Catechumenal Way @ The Domain (12.00pm - 7.30pm)

Saturday 26 July

· 3,000 EDA Gathering @ AJC Pavilion Randwick (4.00pm)

wyd2008.org