When I was in Australia, I got a chance to catch up with a fellow ethicist and lawyer, Bishop Anthony Fisher, OP. We've been at the same conferences, and talked about teaching law and ethics.

But he doesn't have the luxury of leisurely planning his next semester's courses. He's now a very busy man: he's in charge of organizing World Youth Day, which will open in Sydney in less than a year from now.

This is a very big event. They have been very big events in the past. But it occurred to me that we don't know what difference they make. Does anyone know of any sociologists who have studied long term effects on the faith of young Catholics who attend World Youth Day.?