Cologne, Germany, Aug 15, 2005 / 22:00 pm
The city of Cologne has been invaded by fervent, joyful and energetic Catholic youth—405,000 of them. Pilgrims are everywhere in the German city—in the streets, parks, subways, trains and churches—to celebrate World Youth Day (WYD) 2005, from Aug. 16 to Aug. 21.
This morning, the platforms of the city’s train and subway stations were congested with pilgrims singing and chanting. This exuberance is likely to continue for the rest of the week. At Cologne’s central station, one group of about 25 Namibians danced in a circle and sang in harmony while other pilgrims took photos and video footage.
“We had to come here,” one Namibian pilgrim told CNA, explaining why her group of 100 young people decided to undertake the journey to Cologne from Africa. “We had to come to this international event that celebrates the universality of the Church.”
On another platform, French pilgrims were chanting Alleluia. Outside the station, Peruvian and Argentinean pilgrims cheered as they each took turns singing hymns.