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| Quatro Vientos, Madrid, Spain |
The director of activities for World Youth Day Madrid is expecting more than one million people to attend the event's closing Mass on August 21. Activities director Javier Cremades stated on Tuesday that the Cuatro Vientos Airfield will be the site of “a great festival” beginning with a vigil on August 20 and culminating with the closing Mass celebrated by Pope Benedict the following morning. He also revealed that the famous Arfe Monstrance kept at the Cathedral of Toledo will be used during Eucharist adoration led by the Pope at the Saturday night vigil. In addition, some 17 adoration chapels will be set up throughout the airfield for Eucharistic adoration by the young people during the weekend. Twenty giant TV screens will be placed at different locations and eight first aid stations will provide any emergency care needed for those expected to attend. “The main priority is to ensure the safety of the attendees,” said Eva Hernandez, director of Infrastructure for World Youth Day. Officials also announced that the World Youth Day Choir and Symphony Orchestra will participate in the final Mass. At the conclusion of the Mass, Pope Benedict XVI will announce the site of the next World Youth Day. As preparations for the event go into the home stretch, some 420,000 young people have registered to attend so far, and a new radio and TV appeal have been launched to encourage last-minute registrations. Food and housing is included for young people from countries outside Spain who register by July 8, but Spanish youth can get up to a 50 percent discount if they register before July 15.
