This summer Pope Francis has an appointment with the young Catholics of the world in Lisbon on the occasion of World Youth Day (WYD). Youth groups in every corner of the planet have been preparing for months in training sessions on the themes proposed for WYD around Mary: “Mary arose and left without delay” and also looking for the necessary funding to pay for the trip to the Portuguese capital.
The Comboni Family will be present at WYD through the World Youth Comboni Gathering (WYCG), an initiative that will bring together in Portugal young people who follow Jesus in the style of St. Daniel Comboni. 120 young people from Europe, Africa and America between 14 and 30 years of age have signed up and from July 26 to 31 they will be in the Portuguese city of Maia to listen to missionary testimonies and participate in activities and dynamics around interculturality and universal fraternity. In some activities they will join other young people from the dioceses of Porto and Braga.
On July 31, before arriving in Lisbon to participate in WYD, they will visit the Sanctuary of Fatima and on August 7 they will meet in the city of Santarém to evaluate the “strong” experience lived in Lisbon and to envision how to give it continuity throughout the year so that it does not remain “just another experience”, but will help them to a greater commitment.
Through the intercession of St. Daniel Comboni we pray for all the young people who are preparing to participate in the WYD in Lisbon, especially for the young Comboni Missionaries of the World Youth Comboni Gathering initiative, so that this international meeting may encourage them to follow Jesus in a missionary style.
[Hozana]
