G'day, my name is Rick Brewin. I'm 20, and I work on a youth team for the Archdiocese of Liverpool, serving Roman Catholic schools and parishes all over the area.

I've been lucky enough to come on this incredible pilgrimage to World Youth Day 2008, with 38 other pilgrims from the Archdiocese. Yesterday, having spent an incredible week with the people of Singleton, a mining and vineyard community in New South Wales, we finally arrived in Sydney and there's already so much to tell!

That includes a harbour cruise, a huge concert, and a chance to see the city, but my personal highlight of today was the opening Mass with 200,000 other pilgrims, people who'd come from literally all over the world. To know that they were all there to celebrate our unity in faith was so inspiring. I was concerned that so many young people would find it impossible to stay focussed on the Mass itself, and yet I was just so overwhelmed at how wrong I was. This was the world's largest youth event, and everyone was very obviously there because of their love for God. Anyone who says the Catholic Church isn't for the youth of today should come here, see this, and celebrate with the young people of the world.

I just can't wait for what's next!