Pope Francis speaks to young people in a video message released by the Vatican June 22, 40 days before World Youth Day opened in Lisbon. (CNS screengrab/Courtesy Holy See Press Office)
There were Hawaii folk at World Youth Day, Aug. 1-6, in Lisbon, Portugal, including Bishop Larry Silva.
World Youth Day is the gathering of young people from all over the world with the pope. Pope Francis scheduled nine events with young people, including hearing their confessions, eating lunch with them and celebrating Mass, during his Aug. 2-6 trip to Portugal.
World Youth Day is also a pilgrimage, a celebration of youth, an expression of the universal church and an intense moment of evangelization for the youth world. Although its Catholic identity is clearly evident, the festival opened its doors to everyone. More than 400,000 people registered.
Others going from Hawaii according the to Lisa Gomes, director of the diocesan Office for Youth and Young Adults, were local seminarians Taylor Mitchell and Larry Denis, and Denis’ godson Isaac Santos from St. Joseph, Hilo, Jeremiah Carter, a teacher at Maryknoll School, and a group of college students.
Also making the trip are 25 members of the Neocatechumenal Way from St. Joseph Parish, Makawao, Maui, according to the priest assigned to Hawaii’s Neocatechumenal communities, Father John Wadeson, a retired priest of the Archdiocese of Guam.
Father Wadeson said that 200 youth planned to venture to Portugal from the Pacific islands of Hawaii, Saipan, Guam, Palau and Kiribati.
For those staying behind, the Office for Youth and Young Adults planned a World Youth Day “Stateside Young Adult Event” tagged “An Evening with Christ and Community,” Aug. 4, at the Co-Cathedral of St. Theresa. It begins with adoration of the Blessed Sacrament at 6:30 p.m. followed by dinner fellowship.
