Parishes on the Lisbon starting line

“I got up and left in a hurry.” (Luke 1, 39), this is the theme of the next YDJ Day in the summer of 2023 with the Pope, which will take place in the Portuguese dioceses, from 25 to 31 July, and then in Lisbon, from 1 to 6 August. In order to prepare their young people to go there, and like every year when the Pope’s agenda does not provide for meetings with young people from all over the world, bishops are called to organize WYDs called “diocese”. This was the case in 2020 and 2021, and it remains so in 2022. Since last year, by decision of the sovereign Pope, these meetings are now taking place on the feast of Christ the King, that is, on Sunday, November 20.

“The idea is to launch a dynamic of mobilization for YD next summer by inviting all young people who are likely to leave or who are wondering about doing so.”Gautier Lambert, delegate of the diocese of Creteil with his wife Pia, confirms that this assembly will take place in Notre Dame Cathedral. “We really had the idea of following in Mary’s footsteps to begin our official journey into WYD”confirms Johan Grail Begin, head of the youth ministry in Nancy, whose children between the ages of 16 and 30 will gather in Saint-Léon’s church.

Pilgrimages to Portugal are registered with each diocese

The official opening will take place on November 20 in most cases, as in the case of Créteil and Nancy. But in some other dioceses, such as Nantes, it is already open. The barrier of two hundred people recorded in October was exceeded. It should also be borne in mind that each diocese has its own organization, and not all of them allow minors to apply for departure to Portugal. In Nantes, for example, the choice has been made to welcome them also, this year, on the occasion of the WYD Diocesan Feast which will take place on Saturday, November 19th in the Church of Saint-Donatien. But only those who are going to celebrate 18 years old^{The tenth} birthday within the next year – that is, no later than December 31, 2023 – will be able to take a seat on the flight to Lisbon.

Back to the WYD parish of Saint-Donatien de Nantes: various workshops will be offered to young Marielian Catholics named after four mysteries or themes Marianne : Annunciation, Visitation, Mary at the Foot of the Cross and the Assumption. Some, whether they are anxious to preach or never proclaim the good news, will be sent out as missionaries on the public way—that is the object of the visitation. Others will explore the other three themes by going from one church to another in the city centre, five to ten minutes away. “To experience the WYD side, the pilgrimage, and the walk”Refers to the president of the Diocesan Youth Service Clement Horant. For these, games, questionnaires, convocational reflection, discussion among participants, testimonials, and discovering or deepening Marian spirituality will be in the program for the afternoon.

In Nancy, about ten workshops are also planned: one focused on the task, the other on making rosaries. The day will also be marked by the preaching of Sister Tabitha, a nun sent from this diocese.

In Créteil, in addition to the time of Adoration and the Mass celebrated by the bishop, followed by an aperitif, the focus will be on the full presentation of the day y y y d, the course of the days in Portugal and what the organizers intend to do alive. small. “It’s been a long time since there was a WYD where all the groups were able to participate, since there were a few participants in Panama. So, even a typical WYD format isn’t very well known.”Justifies Gautier Lambert.

“In these recent difficult times, when humanity, already tried by the shock of an epidemic, is being torn apart by the drama of war, Mary opens before everyone and in particular to you, young people like her, the way of rapprochement and meeting.”Pope Francis notes in his letter of invitation to Lisbon. “I hope, and I firmly believe, that experience is a lot [y] The coming month of August will mark a new beginning for you and for the youth – and with you – for all of humanity.Pope continues. This anchoring in the reality of the Pope’s words is necessary to encourage the youth of 2022 to go to Lisbon. This generation, more than those before it, needs strong, spiritual, and celebratory group times. But there are two elements that set these young adults apart from older adults of a similar age: their environmental concerns as well as their impatience with restoration “A safe and transparent climate: between us we want to give to each other, but we still want things to move forward”Gautier-Lambert slides.

Where will the French be from July 25-31?

Before meeting in Lisbon with the Pope, from August 1 to 6, pilgrims will be welcomed from July 25 to 31 in one of the seventeen Portuguese dioceses that have opened their doors to young people from all over the world. This is the step “diocese” WYDs. During this, the French, coming in succession from the dioceses of Nantes, Rouen, Lyon, Nanterre and Versailles, will go to the north, in the dioceses of Coimbra, Lamego, Viseu, Braga and Porto. To the south, the Parisians are to be expected in the diocese of Évora, and the inhabitants of Montpellier in the diocese of Faro. Other dioceses, such as Czes and Marseilles, would spread to several Portuguese dioceses. “We left each French diocese free to choose which Portuguese diocese they wanted [pour l’accueillir, Ndlr]. First of all, out of respect for the history, the ties between the Portuguese families here in France and, often, their parish of origin, ”explains Vincent Brienert, Director of the National Service for Youth Evangelization and Vocations, who mentions that Of the 800,000 Portuguese living in France, many are used to taking a car every summer to go to Portugal.. Sometimes, on the contrary, some parishes have chosen not to go to parishes they already know well so that young Portuguese living in France can experience WYD without returning to their families of origin.