A small taste of what World Youth Day will be like last night at the Telstra Dome here in Melbourne. Pics and videos follow:
Priests join in the Mexican Wave…
There were some clevel laser light shows… 
There were about sixty bishops present, these are the local ones, the Cardinals and Archbishop Denis entering.
And then it was all over and they went home…
Well, not quite. Here are my girls during the final song before we went for a warming glass of wine or ale in the reception room. I was minding our ecumenical guests, which was a nice excuse to sidle up to the Cardinals and introduce them…
So, David, how did you rate the Mass, so to speak?
BTW, will I see you in Sydney, or are you staying home?
Except for the Halloween costumes on the clergy, looks like a Benny Hinn or Joel Osteen mega-event!
Reminds me of an old joke in the days of our legendary football coach Dr Tom, who had his detractors for having winning seasons but without national championships. They used to say, what do Dr Tom and Billy Graham have in common, being able to fill a stadium will people shouting “Jesus Christ!”.
Coincidentally, the last time there was a Christian event at Telstra Dome was for Franklin Graham.
The mass was very solemnly done. They did a good job of making a “presence” in the huge space that was the “sanctuary” for the night.
The music was like something out of the latest Hillsong gathering, but hey, it was that sort of event, wasn’t it?
My daughters stayed awake throughout. That says something, as they usually fall asleep at evening masses.
The meican wave was not during the Mass, I hope!
And what are sixty bishops doing in Melbourne? Surely we only havev that many around the whole country?
Oops! That last was from me – I was logged on as my son.
Snuffy boots?
No, the Mexican wave was in the entertainment a couple of hourse before mass started. Put it down to religious freedom. Had it been the footy, all those priests would have been arrested.
Sixty bishops came with all the international pilgrims.
You sure some of this isn’t from some new production of Parsifal?