Friday 6 October 2006: Randwick Racecourse has been chosen to host the largest gathering of people ever held in Sydney - the overnight Vigil and Final Mass to be celebrated by His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI during World Youth Day in July 2008 (WYD08).

The Archbishop of Sydney, George Cardinal Pell, made the announcement today with Archbishop Stanislaw Rylko, President of the Pontifical Council for the Laity - the Vatican body reviewing Sydney's preparation for the world's biggest youth event.

Randwick Racecourse and nearby Centennial Park are the first of several Sydney sites confirmed to host large crowds during the week of WYD08 from 15-20 July 2008.

"We needed a site that could accommodate up to 600,000 people and get them to and from that site as smoothly as possible," said Cardinal Pell, who chairs the World Youth Day 2008 Local Organising Committee.

Sydney is hosting the 23rd World Youth Day and the 10th to be held outside Italy.

"Up to 300,000 pilgrims will walk to the site on Saturday for an overnight Vigil with Pope Benedict and a sleep-out under the stars.

"As many as 300,000 more are expected to arrive the following morning to hear His Holiness celebrate the Final Mass."

Cardinal Pell said the Final Mass at previous World Youth Days has sometimes drawn more than one million people.

"We needed to find a site that could deliver the best quality outcome for the largest number of people," he said.

"Eighteen sites were originally considered and a shortlist of four was presented this week to Archbishop Rylko and his two colleagues from the Pontifical Council for the Laity.

"They have been in Sydney since September 28 inspecting sites and meeting senior government and World Youth Day 2008 officials."

Cardinal Pell said that after much consideration, Randwick was deemed to provide the best combination of space, uninterrupted sight lines and transport links.

"We wanted as many people as possible to see the Pope directly; Randwick offers this opportunity to 400,000 people while another 200,000 or more can be part of the Final Mass in Centennial Park via video link.

"Getting people to and from the site in large numbers was also crucial; the proximity of city railway stations - from where the traditional pilgrimage on foot will be made - means that people can move to Randwick Racecourse at the rate of 70,000 per hour.

"While there may be larger sites in Sydney, none could transport people at anything like that rate," he said.

Cardinal Pell said Randwick also had the highest minimum temperatures of any site considered, an important factor for the Vigil and sleep-out.

Archbishop Rylko said he was pleased Randwick would extend its heritage as the site of Papal Masses in Sydney.

"This will be the fourth Papal Mass celebrated there," Archbishop Rylko said.

"His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI is looking forward to his first visit to Australia and to celebrating Mass at the place where Pope John Paul II and Pope Paul VI stood before him."

He said Sydney's preparations for WYD08 were progressing well.

"The planning I have seen on this visit has been very good and I look forward to seeing more in the future.

"I am especially pleased with the support and cooperation that World Youth Day 2008 is receiving from the State and Federal Governments.

"I am confident Sydney will deliver a memorable World Youth Day; it is a beautiful city with world class facilities and warm, friendly people."

World Youth Day is the largest youth event in the world and is expected to attract an anticipated 500,000 pilgrims, including 125,000 international visitors.

It will begin on Tuesday 15 July 2008 with an Opening Mass celebrated by Cardinal Pell and Archbishop Rylko at a venue still to be decided.

Pope Benedict XVI will be welcomed to Sydney the following Thursday.

Media contact: Jim Hanna
mobile: 0414 828 629
email: media@wyd2008.org