WYD Rio 2013: High hopes and an army of volunteers

(Vatican Radio) “Without volunteers, World Youth Day just wouldn’t be possible”, says Elsa Vazquez, a 38-year-old from Australia, who together with her husband is a “WYD veteran” having been involved in the management of the last global gathering in Madrid. Now they are both lending their time and expertise free of charge to organisers of the Rio de Janeiro 2013 edition, which is – unbelievably - now only 10 months away.

Volunteers she says, “put their heart into it and work really hard. Not only from the economic side, because of course the WYD organisers don’t have to pay for the jobs that the volunteer does, it wouldn’t be feasible to hold it without them, but also the enthusiasm that the volunteers bring-you just can’t pay for that”.

Vazquez is currently involved in the cultural department for WYD Rio 2013, which includes organising film, concert and theatre events in and around the week long encounter all centred on the theme: “Go and makes disciples of all nations”. She also reveals that different routes leading to Rio are being drawn up, to help garner the underlying concept of a spiritual pilgrimage for all the young pilgrims who will be travelling to the Brazilian city in July next year.

In an interview with Vatican Radio, she speaks of her experience in organising events in Madrid’s Parque del Buen Retiro, at the Festival of Forgiveness which was one of the surprise hits with young and old, attracting thousands daily to its stands and open air confessionals.

But she adds, she has even higher hopes for Rio: “it will be much bigger than Madrid, because Latin America is very Catholic. There will be a lot of people coming from south, central and even north America. I personally think its going to be the biggest World Youth Day event so far”.