By Emma Luigard
One in a series
MADRID — If I had to describe today in one word of would be chaotic. After attending catechesis this morning we started to head over to the Plaza de Cibeles for the Stations of the Cross, and that’s when the day got crazy.
When the train we were taking arrived it was crowded, but no one thought anything of it because a crowded train has been the norm. However, as soon as we got off we were swept into a sea of people.
We clung to each other’s backpacks as we moved through the crowd, pushing against the current of people. We fought our way to the exit, and getting out into the hundred-degree heat was like a breath of fresh air.
After much debate it was decided we would skip stations because, despite the fact that our adventure in the train station was quite exciting, it was one that we didn’t want again soon.
Tomorrow we leave early for the vigil! The walk will be long and the train ride exceptionally crowded, but it will all be worth it. Viva el papa!
Emma Luigard, 16, will be a senior at Elizabeth Seton High School in Bladensburg, Md. The member of St. Bernadette Parish, traveling with St. Camillus Parish in Silver Spring, said she is “excited for World Youth Day because it will be full of cultural and religious experiences.”
CNS Blog 
Instead of writing my own post for tonight, I will just comment on Emma’s and echo the point that it is CHAOS! I had been excited for the Way of the Cross, but was sorely disappointed by the execution. The set-up was terrible–most people had no view of the pope or the stations. Even with the TVs set up for pilgrims to watch, many still couldn’t get near the TV! I’m hoping to watch a re-play of the Via Crucis online… Tomorrow, all will be able to pray together, uninhibited, at Cuatro Vientos!