The Archdiocese of Los Angeles will be the final stop on a multi-city pilgrimage of the official World Youth Day Cross and an icon of the Virgin Mary traveling across the United States from Aug. 19-27, on its way to Panama, where young people will join Pope Francis at World Youth Day 2019. The cross will be welcomed by hundreds of young adult Catholics and World Youth Day pilgrims at a Mass on August 26, celebrated by Archbishop José H. Gomez at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels.
“When we receive these symbolic pilgrims, we receive everyone who has met them on the way and the prayers they bear to us,” said Father Chris Bazyouros, director of the Archdiocese’s Office of Religious Education, event organizers. “When this cross and icon leave us to continue the journey, they will carry us, our prayers and our hopes, so that they are lifted up to meet Christ Jesus. We hope that you will join us in prayer for all those on the journey.”
Local young adults and youth with their guardians who are planning to travel to Panama to the event held on January 22-27, 2019 are invited to participate in the Mass at Cathedral, wearing WYD t-shirts, where they will be blessed by Archbishop Gomez. The Mass will also feature testimonials by two of the pilgrims.
The Cross has been part of every World Youth Day celebration since 1986, the first official WYD in Rome, established by Pope Saint John Paul II. The Marian icon has accompanied the Cross for the last 15 years, under the title Salus Populi Romani. This is the first time the icon visits the U.S.
Full story at Angelus News.
“When we receive these symbolic pilgrims, we receive everyone who has met them on the way and the prayers they bear to us,” said Father Chris Bazyouros, director of the Archdiocese’s Office of Religious Education, event organizers. “When this cross and icon leave us to continue the journey, they will carry us, our prayers and our hopes, so that they are lifted up to meet Christ Jesus. We hope that you will join us in prayer for all those on the journey.”
Does that make any sense to anyone? Sounds like pious blather to me.
I would never go to world youth day. Not worth the time, not worth the expense, not worth the aggravation of dealing with crowds. Watch it on EWTN, if you’re that interested, but it’s really not worth seeing on TV either. What do these world youth days accomplish? Not many youth are interested. I know my diocese has had a very hard time getting people to sign up for the trip. Why would you pay $2,800 to go to this event? Go to Hawaii instead.