MAGiS-WYD, Spain 2011: Could it be MAGiC?
Magis Ireland, formerly Sli Eile, is a Jesuit Formation group for 18-35 yr olds. They are getting involved in World Youth DAY which is a six day event in Spain this Summer. It is a worldwide event that happens every 3 years and a festival of Faith. – talks , workshops, exhibitions, prayer, conversations The Jesuits are providing a 10 day preparation to this in Spain. The preparation is a series of experiences called experiments – a bit like an extended social placement that people may have had in school. Participants fly to Spain in August to go to their choice of experiemnt for 10 days , meet up again and then go to Madrid for World Youth Day. 17 days in all 5-15th August 2011. For more information or to register, contact: noelle.fitzpatrick@magisireland.com or phone Noelle Fitzpatrick on (01) 89 43 161.
Some Facts about MAGiS:
120 experiments (participants will enter into one of 120 experiments for 1 wk)
17 days (11 working days, 10 days MAGiS, 6 days WYD, 1 travel)5 Continents (participants from the 5 continents will be there)2 programmes (5-15th August: MAGiS, 16th-21st August: WYD) 1 unique experience (open to 18-30 yr olds, this comes around once every 3 years)
You will embark on a deeply personal journey from Loyola in the Basque country to Madrid in 2011.
The MAGiS-WYD is a 2 part experience
MAGiS is Ignatian – deeply personal and spiritual, action-reflection stuff, 3,000 participants are broken into multinational groups of 25.
The WYD festival involves 1-2m young people in Madrid….the entire universal Church on display.
Ten possible reasons to take the plunge and go to MAGiS-WYD…..
1. I’m curious about the faith/spirituality MAGiS experiments, they sound challenging and interesting, I’m struggling with my faith right now.
2. I often can’t talk about life’s bigger questions with my friends, but away from everything, with like minded strangers I think important conversations can happen.
3. I want a good tan, good conversation, good fun whilst deepening my sense of self and my convictions, this sounds like the perfect solution.
4. Here, even admitting going to Mass can set you up for a slagging, I want 3 weeks away amongst like minded people where I can totally be myself.
5. I realise I really don’t know much about the various spiritual and other traditions within the Catholic Church, when else am I going to get such an opportunity to go and see and make firm decisions about what I do/don’t value?
6. Usually when I come back from holiday I feel relaxed but not refreshed, this might bring me something different.
7. The idea of a religious vocation keeps niggling away at me, and I feel this event might help answer a few questions and clarify things for me.
8. I’m struggling to find a vision for my life at the moment, this event, meeting so many others my own age also trying to live authentic lives might just be a help to me right now.
9. I don’t know what I believe, but I am determined not to spend my life sitting on the fence. I want to experience this thing and hope it helps me make some decisions about faith and religion generally.
10. I want to meet lots of new people my own age from different cultures, and with a sense of faith. This won’t cost me a fortune and I mightn’t have this opportunity again.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
Q: How much does this cost?
A: Euro 425 for all food, accommodation, internal transportation and both MAGiS and WYD programmes.
Q: What about getting to Spain?
A: We have reserved a number of flights which you can avail of on a first come first serve basis. Otherwise you are free to arrange your own transport by plane, train, boat, car, bike, parachute… we are happy to respond to emails asking for advice on best path to beat to Loyola in the Basque country from where this event will kick off.
Q: When and where do I register?
A: There are only 200 places reserved on the MAGiS faith experiment programme for partipants from Ireland, so register sooner rather than later. You can register for both programmes through this office by downloading, completing and emailing the attached registration form to noelle.fitzpatrick@magisireland.com. Euro 100 must be received within 14 days to secure booking.
Q: Give me an example of what I can expect on one of the MAGiS faith/spirituality experiments?
A: Just about anything! They’ll last one week, usually you’ll be in a group of 25 people, 4 nationalities so with approx 5 others from Ireland. Depending on the experiment type you choose you could be going anywhere in Spain or Portugal for one week. In Australia in 2008 experiments ranged from ‘a surfing and spirituality pilgrimage’, to ‘a blue mountains aboriginal experience’, to ‘walking in the boots of an aussie farmer’. More details available nearer the time, but, the essential thing now is to state the experiment type you would like, and be open to all the rest!
Q: What things do I need to do now?
A: Check your passport does not expire before December 2011. If it does, apply for a new passport. Also, start putting aside a few bob every month or week so that you can comfortably meet the cost of this event without stress at the last minute. Send your postal address to noelle.fitzpatrick@magisireland.com for information about pre departure socials and orientation dates for your diary for the group travelling from Ireland.
Q: What key things do I need to keep in mind at this point?
A: The weather in Spain in August will be very hot. This will be a huge cultural and faith experience, there will be lots and lots of young people particularly during the World Youth Day festival so you need to be reasonably comfortable in crowds. You will be staying in basic accommodation in Loyola, on your experiment and in Madrid – sometimes sleeping bags. This is great fun, but you must be up for rolling with it!
Sample of events running through the days of World Youth Day
Art exhibition on Bible history
Discernment (decision making in a reflective way) workshop
Prayer through creative art
Sexy – Saint or Sinner – relationships workshop
Women in development – India and Nepal case studies
Prayer and meditation using yoga postures
Indigeous spirituality
Issues relating to spirituality in the Catholic Church
War and reconciliation in East Timor
Next Step: contact noelle.fitzpatrick@magisireland.com, tel (01) 89 43 161.