Preparing the World Youth Day 2023 in Lisbon
The theme for this year’s event is “Mary arose and went in haste” (Luke 1:39)
World Youth Days (WYD) are amazing spiritual and human discovery opportunities. WYD is a celebration of faith. In 2023, young people from all over the world will meet with Pope Francis in Lisbon.
We are happy to announce that the Assumption family is an international family, and we will welcome not only young French speakers but also young people who speak English and Spanish.
We are 4 members of the Assumption family making preparations for these amazing days: an Augustinian of the Assumption, a Sister of the Assumption, an Oblate of the Assumption, and a Little Sister of the Assumption.
These events will take place from the 27th of July to the 6th of August 2023. We will visit a small area of Spain and Portugal.
We will visit Alicante in Spain where a community of Assumptionist Brothers lives. They are currently looking into possible activities for the days before the WYD: the pre-WYD.
The young pilgrims of the World Youth Day will first be received by the families of the host country, and during the pre-WYD in dioceses across the country for a week of cultural and spiritual events: these are the “Days in the Diocese“. They will be followed by the big WYD gathering in Lisbon. Young people from all over the world and we, the Assumption group, will experience a deeply spiritual encounter with the Pope.
Since January 2022, we have been working together to put in place the practical details in preparation for WYD in Lisbon. An Assumptionist brother has been taking part in the group of national delegates. He has been keeping all the delegates of the dioceses, the congregations of France, and ourselves up-to-date on preparations underway, in order to launch the organizational details of the WYD programme. The Assumptionist Brothers have been to Elche and Lisbon to get a feel of the place in light of these World Youth days.
At our first meetings, we created the website for registration, posters, videos, and a short video of our poster. It is available on our social media pages. At the upcoming meetings, we will be able to finalise the necessary details of the project which we will propose to our delegates. We will also be in a position to promote it in our respective apostolic places (schools, parishes, pilgrimage groups, etc.) to invite young people.
We write a summary record at each meeting to send to those who were absent.
The national delegation has advised that the final price of the WYD will be finalised in September. We will inform you as soon as it is definitive.
For my part, I am happy to participate in this preparation for WYD with the Assumption family. I have the opportunity to work in groups with the sisters and brothers of our spiritual family, and we help each other to move forward in our commitment.
I have contacted a priest in my parish to meet with young people and talk to them about WYD; this is taking me further than I expected.
Mary of Nazareth, the great figure of the Christian journey, teaches us to say “Yes” to God. She was the protagonist of the last WYD and will be again in Lisbon. Mary is still eager to come and visit us on behalf of God. I too am ready to undertake a sharing experience with young people so as to encounter the youth of the Church. This commitment to serving youth helps me observe the love of Christ and makes me grow in faith in the God who is always alive among us.
We can also follow the information via the Facebook page JMJ Assomption 2023 – WYD Assumption 2023) and on the internet at https://www.assomption-jeunes.org/proposition/jmj/
Sr. Hồng Vân, LSA