THOUSANDS of pilgrims sang and danced their way through Sydney today to the World Youth Day opening mass at Darling Harbour. Central Sydney streets were filled with Catholic pilgrims, greeting each other and chanting, as they made their way down to the foreshore site at Barangaroo, which was bathed in winter sun. Organisers were expecting more than 150,000 pilgrims to attend this afternoon’s service, the first major event on the six-day World Youth Day calendar. Between 3000 and 4000 priests, 400 bishops and 26 cardinals were to attend what organisers said would be the “biggest and grandest mass ever celebrated in Australia”. The sound of bongo drums and guitars was to give way to quiet contemplation and prayer when Sydney Archbishop Cardinal George Pell began the mass at 4.30pm (AEST). World Youth Day organisers are confident almost a quarter of a million Catholic pilgrims will take part in the six-day event.

See the related photos HERE