Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Jul 22, 2013 / 17:50 pm
Award-winning Catholic musician Matt Maher sees this year's World Youth Day gathering as an opportunity to recognize the universal nature of the Catholic Church throughout diverse nations and cultures.
"One of the things that I'm most looking forward to is just experiencing the global Church," Maher told CNA shortly after arriving in Rio de Janeiro on July 21 for the start of World Youth Day 2013.
"I think there's definitely a spirit of excitement," he observed.
The Grammy-nominated singer and songwriter is one of the performers scheduled to provide entertainment for more than a million pilgrims who are expected to flood the Brazilian city for the July 23-28 gathering with the Holy Father.