2,500 to attend Local World Youth Day

Around 2,500 young people from the different parishes of the Archdiocese of Cebu and the neighboring provinces will join the 31st Local World Youth Day and Vocation Jamboree in Cebu City next month.

Fr. Mark Barneso, Commission on Youth chairman (COY), said the threeday annual gathering slated on April 6 to 9 will be an opportunity for the youths to reflect together on this year’s theme, “Go Forth, Build Communities.”

The event will be spearheaded by the Family of United and Empowered Leaders (FUEL) in collaboration with COY.

"Dili man tanan batan-on makaapil sa world youth day mao naa’y lokal human nihagit ang kanhi santo papa Pope St. John Paul II sa mga obispo nga mohimo sa maong kalihukan sa ilang tagsa-tagsa ka mga lugar,” he said.

The Archdiocese of Cebu, he said, has been holding the event since 1986.

Prayers, catechism, pilgrim walk and other religious activities will be conducted by the young pilgrims.

He said this year’s event would be historical because the Vocation Jamboree is integrated in which the participants will experience the “lifestyle in vocation.”

Fr. Justin Lee, CSJ, spiritual director of FUEL and overall coordinator of the 31st LWYD, said at least 1,000 delegates will be assigned to 60 religious congregations and the rest will be deployed in 10 lay organizations.

At least P1.5 million has been allocated for the event, Lee said, adding that they will still accept donations.

He said the event will kick off at the San Carlos Seminary and will commence with a pilgrim walk from San Pedro Calungsod Chapel at the South Road Properties to the University of San Jose-Recoletos in Basak Campus, Barangay Mambaling.

Archdiocesan Vocations Director Fr. Dave Villaceran said LWYD-Vocation Jamboree is among the outcome of the 51st International Eucharistic Congress.