Angela Wilson
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (July 26/02) - Twenty-five young adults from the Northwest Territories are among the 300,000 youths in Toronto this week celebrating World Youth Day.

Thirteen of those youths are from Yellowknife.

Clayton Morrell, organizer of the pilgrimage, said everyone is enjoying being in Toronto for the event.

"It's a feeling of excitement," he said. "We've been having catechist (teaching of the faith) in the morning, morning mass, touring and lots of concerts in the evening. There was a big mass (Tuesday) with the cross and the papal ceremony with (Pope John Paul II's) arrival."

Morrell said in Coronation Park by Toronto's waterfront area there are confession booths everywhere and it's very peaceful.

"But inside the exhibition grounds, it's very crazy," he told Yellowknifer in a phone interview from Toronto. "There's thousands of people from all over the world. It's very high energy, but at the same time, it's very tiring."

There are a few inconveniences to being in Toronto, but Morrell said a pilgrimage isn't supposed to be easy.

"There's been a lot of problems with the meals and logistics," he said.

"The meals are at one central location and it takes a lot of time to get to the meals. The meals aren't much. We usually have to buy something afterwards.

"The pilgrims have been very enthusiastic since they got here, even though one was sick and the rest had to sleep at the registration site. It was pouring rain and we were sleeping on the floors of a school.

It's pretty gruelling. The food's not bad but it is minimal. It's tough but it's good. It teaches you to rough it and it teaches you endurance. It's definitely worth it. It's a pilgrimage. Pilgrimages are tough."

Morrell stressed there is a difference between a pilgrim and a tourist.

"A tourist comes home with heavier baggage, a pilgrim comes home with a lighter heart."

Besides partaking in the celebration being held inside Toronto's exhibition grounds, the youths have been exploring Toronto, said Morrell.

The group is expected to return to the North July 29.