Madrid, Spain, Aug 21, 2011 / 12:58 pm
Pope Benedict XVI took time on August 21 to thank World Youth Day 2011 volunteers, saying they made pilgrims feel at home in Madrid by serving in the spirit of the Gospel.
“Everyone did (their) best, by work and prayer, to weave, stitch by stitch, the magnificent, colorful tapestry of this World Youth Day,” the Pope told 12,000 volunteers at the INFEMA exhibition center.
After leaving the Apostolic Nunciature amid cheers and applause, the Pope greeted the thousands of volunteers awaiting his words.
The encounter began with the volunteers singing the World Youth Day anthem. On a stage adorned with flowers, 25-year-old Spaniard Javier Reyes spoke for the young volunteers, saying the Pope’s “commitment, evidenced in this trip to Madrid, was an inspiration to the youth.”