Archdiocese team prepares for World Youth Day

A contingent of a dozen young Catholics from the Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn have commenced planning their trip to World Youth Day in Panama early next year.

The local team of twelve and some of the organisers gathered together with Archbishop Christopher Prowse at St Christopher’s Pastoral Centre on Wednesday, July 25 to make preparations for WYD 2019.

As part of World Youth Day, which runs from January 22-27, the team will meet Pope Francis and a range of young Catholics from all around the world.

One of the participants, Beth Doherty, who has travelled to Latin America before said she was pretty excited to be going and that the location and the opportunity to meet young people of faith from around the world played a large part in her decision to go.

“Most of us are early career teachers so this is an opportunity to grow in our faith and to really experience another part of the world,” she said.

Catholic Education Director Ross Fox, who has been to three previous World Youth Days said he was encouraged by the participation of so many teachers in the team.

“[World Youth Day] is a fantastic experience, being part of the universal church,” he said.

“I’m so pleased that we’ve got teachers and youth ministers who are part of a delegation from the Archdiocese le by the Archbishop to be part of a fantastic celebration and an opportunity to reflect on our mission together across the globe and how that translates into our local activity in the archdiocese.”

Archbishop Prowse said the team will keep the Archdiocese updated on the journey to WYD 2019.