Think “Coachella meets St. Peter’s Square.”
That’s how one participant from the Diocese of San Diego described World Youth Day, where hundreds of thousands are expected to join Pope Francis in Lisbon, Portugal, from Aug. 1 to 6.
The diocesan Office for Youth and Young Adult Ministry will be leading its own delegation of 25 young adults. It will be led by the office’s director, Maricruz Flores, and one of its associate directors, Brilema Perez.
The other associate director, Evelyn Beale, who joined the office’s staff in early June, will also be attending World Youth Day, but as a member of an international group sponsored by Bon Secours Young Adults and Maryknoll Young Adults.
Various local parishes will be sending their own groups of pilgrims, including Santa Sophia Parish in Spring Valley, with a group of 35; St. James Parish in Solana Beach and its St. Leo Mission with 15 and 22, respectively; St. Patrick Parish in Carlsbad, with 16; and St. Pius X Parish in Chula Vista with six.
St. Augustine High School will have a 40-member delegation, and the University of San Diego will be sending a group of 11.
Cardinal Robert McElroy will also be heading to Lisbon, where he will celebrate Mass on Wednesday, Aug. 2, for pilgrims from his diocese.
Before their departure, all San Diego-area pilgrims are invited to a Commissioning Mass celebrated by Auxiliary Bishop Ramón Bejarano. About 150 people are expected to attend the Mass, which will be celebrated at 7 p.m., Tuesday, July 25, in the diocesan Pastoral Center’s chapel….
From the Southern Cross
I hope there is a also trip scheduled for the San Diego youth to attend Mass at the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary in Fatima, Portugal. It was a profound experience for me as a youth. I will never forget the moving sight of thousands of pilgrims crawling on their hands and knees toward the shrine in penance. It would be a tremendous moment of grace for those young people.
God grant them a safe trip.
May they be guided by the Holy Spirit and protected by Mary and St..Michael.
I don’t understand the appeal of WYD. Spend thousands of dollars, be jet-lagged, sleep in uncomfortable accommodations or in tents, have to use portapotties all the time, wait in long lines to go everywhere and to eat, have a lousy view of the Mass, then come home. Let’s talk to people who attended WYDs ten or twenty years ago and see if they’re still Catholic. The USCCB website says it’s for high school through age 35. Sorry, if you’re older than 26 you ain’t a youth anymore. 35 is really outlandish as “youth”. On top of it all, the featured speaker isn’t someone who’s worth listening to. Besides, you’ll be able to watch the main events on streamed video. So why bother going?
Fatima, Portugal is a truly remarkable place for these youth to go. I highly recommend it.
i hope they flying on solar power airplane
Steer-clear of World Youth Days – they are occasions of sin and dangerous to the Faith.
For about the same money you could join a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Money much better spent.
travel 2 Lisbon
ain’t they worried about the big carbon footprint?
has Diocese enviro czar OK’d this trip?