USA flag

Michael Magree, 30, is a Jesuit seminarian. Currently a religion and Latin teacher at St Joseph's Preparatory, Philadelphia he arrived to Sydney for WYD on Monday. 

A WYD veteran, this will be his 5th WYD, having been to Denver (1993), Paris (1997), Rome (2000) and Toronto (2002).   

1. What's the connection between WYD, USA and you?

America is a very young country and therefore it has a very young spirit. But often recently that youthful spirit is separate from religion. WYD is a tremendous opportunity to show that Faith in Christ does not have to be separate from that youthful spirit, but in fact is its real source.

For myself, each WYD has had a special impact in my life. Going back to my very first WYD in Denver  - there the message of Christ's bringing abundant life struck a very deep chord in my life.  

2. How many pilgrims are coming to Sydney from your country?

25,000 I think are coming from the US. We're probably one of the biggest representations from a single country - besides Australia.

3.   What are some of the main Dioceses, cities and groups represented?

All the major Dioceses will be represented including our own Philadelphia. Others would include New York, Washington DC, Chicago, Los Angeles - to name a few!

4.   Will your country be represented in the 'Papal Plate' WYD Soccer Competition?

Yes!

5.    Is your country having a National Gathering at WYD and if so, when and where is it on?

Yes, Saturday morning (July 19) at the Domain. There'll be Mass at 9am. [For More info email: Indirizzo e-mail protetto dal bots spam , deve abilitare Javascript per vederlo ]

6.    Are there any migrants from your country living in Australia - if so how many?

There are certainly some who come to live and work, I wouldn't know how many though. 

7.    Any National Foods of interest?

Hamburgers are probably the most well known. In Philadelphia we'd say the "cheesesteak" - all one word! It's not a hamburger. Its shredded beef, with fried peppers [capsicums] and onions and cheese, all on a long breadroll. It's usually eaten at least once every two weeks. 

8.    Any National Past -Times of interest?

Baseball, American football, basketball, lacrosse.

9.    Describe your country in 3 words?

Proud, courageous and free.

10.    What little souvenirs will your country’s pilgrims bring to WYD to share their nationality with other pilgrims?

We have some teeshirts, and I think a lot of pilgrims will probably bring American flag pins. 

Image courtesy of christopher.vanbelle (Creative Commons License), Flickr.