World Youth Day 2013
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - Pope Benedict XVI
"Go and make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28:19)
World Youth Day 2013Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - Pope Benedict XVI"Go and make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28:19) |
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| By Fr. Gary Coulter - Contact me | Good Counsel Retreat House | Go to Fr. Coulter's Homepage |
July 23-28, 2013The Official Prayer for World Youth Day 2013Oh, Father, You sent Your Eternal Son to save the world and chose men and women, through Him, with Him and in Him, to proclaim the Good News to all nations. Grant us the graces necessary so that joy may shine in the faces of all young people, the joy of being, by the power of the Holy Spirit, the evangelists the Church needs in the Third Millennium. Oh Christ, Redeemer of humanity, the image of Your open arms on the top of Corcovado welcomes all people. In Your paschal offering, You brought us by the Holy Spirit to an encounter of sonship with the Father. Young people, who are fed by Eucharist, hear You in Your Word and meet You as their brother, need your infinite mercy to run the paths of the world missionary-disciples of the New Evangelization. Oh Holy Spirit, Love of the Father and the Son, with the splendor of Your Truth and the fire of Your Love, send Your Light to all young people so that, driven by their experience of World Youth Day, they may bring to the four corners of the world faith, hope and charity, becoming great builders of a culture of life and peace and catalysts of a new world. Amen!
"Young People of the Whole World, Rio Awaits You"Archbishop-Host of Youth Day '13 Invites Openness, Joy in PreparationsROME, APRIL 24, 2012 (Zenit.org).- The archbishop of Rio de Janeiro says the youth of Brazil are energetically preparing for the 2013 World Youth Day, particularly with prayer for the fruits and graces of the event.Archbishop Orani Jo�o Tempesta spoke with ZENIT by telephone Friday, just a few minutes before the beginning of a press conference of the Brazilian bishops' general assembly, held in Aparecida. He said the youth of his country are preparing the July '13 event "with great joy." The 61-year-old archbishop referred to various initiatives under way, including the pilgrimage of the Youth Day cross. "Beginning in July [of this year]," Archbishop Tempesta said, "registration for the Day will open and we will begin to prepare all young people in a more organic way, with the union of all the dioceses, to begin to gather the fruits of what has been done up to now and to concentrate on what is yet to come. Moreover, it is a time of prayer in Rio de Janeiro so that young people will live the Day better. Rio is holding Vigils of Prayer with young people and invites everyone to do the same, praying for the Day." The archbishop confirmed that the nation's bishops are very much involved in the preparations, noting that a whole morning of the episcopal conference's general assembly was dedicated to discussion on World Youth Day. "Also in several other moments, in documents and interventions, the WYD was always mentioned and contemplated," he said. The prelate had this message for potential pilgrims: "Young people of the whole world, Rio de Janeiro is awaiting you, just like Christ the Redeemer, with open arms! May everyone come with a spirit of pilgrimage and popular celebration for an experience of Christ together with the Pope in the WYD of Rio de Janeiro from July 23-28, 2013!"
Joy in Rio as Youth Gear Up for 2013"We Are Going to Prepare Every Detail With Love"RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil, AUG. 23, 2011 (Zenit.org).- It was only 7 a.m. and a throng of Brazilian young people had been awake for hours. Smiles lit up their tired faces: The Pope is coming here.The youth who gathered Saturday and early Sunday morning for the Madrid-Rio WYD vigil -- an event enabling the Brazilians to follow the papal events live from Madrid -- welcomed with elation Benedict XVI's announcement of the next WYD host city. "Rio's youth will gain much from this event," said Father Leandro Cury, director of Cathedral Radio. "I am very happy to know that the Pope is entrusting to us the mission of hosting the youth of the world to reflect on the faith, and on the living of it in today's world." The episcopal vicar for social communication, Father Marcos William Bernardo, presided over a Holy Mass at the same time that Pope Benedict XVI was celebrating the WYD closing Mass in Madrid. The Pontiff's homily was broadcast live for the Brazilians. During several moments of the celebration, which began around 4:30 a.m. (local time in Brazil, 9:30 a.m. in Madrid), flashes of the WYD Mass were transmitted by Catholic networks and media. At the end of the vigil in Rio, around 7 a.m., the joy that conquered exhaustion could still be perceived in the smiles of young people who immediately invaded the streets. Fabiana Targino of the Youth Ministry office of the South Vicariate, observed that to experience a WYD is a unique emotion in the life of any person. "We saw that, though belonging to different countries and cultures, what unites us is the same faith in Christ Jesus. To know that the next WYD will be in Rio is an indescribable emotion, a dream come true," she said. "It is a joy to receive the Pope in our city," Targino added. "We are going to prepare every detail of the next Day with much affection and love. May we be able to show the world that we are bearers of peace."
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Pontiff Announces Theme for WYD '13CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy, AUG. 24, 2011 (Zenit.org).- Youth who will gather in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for the international World Youth Day of 2013 will reflect on the theme "Go and Make Disciples of All Nations."Benedict XVI announced the theme for the next WYD at the end of today's general audience. The audience was dedicated to an evaluation of the 26th WYD held last week in Madrid. The theme for Rio '13 is taken from Matthew 28:19. Rio's WYD will be held from July 23-28, 2013, reported L'Osservatore Romano. The theme chosen by the Pope stresses the missionary character of the next WYD, an element already highlighted by Archbishop Orani Jo�o Tempesta of Rio de Janeiro, during a press conference in Madrid on Sunday. The Holy Father also announced the theme for next year's diocesan-level WYD, traditionally held on Palm Sunday. The 2012 theme will be taken from Philippians 4:4: "Rejoice in the Lord Always!" Brazil Bishops Ready for Challenge of WYD '13MADRID, Spain, AUG. 23, 2011 (Zenit.org).- Leading bishops of Brazil are ready and eager to host World Youth Day 2013, though they admit it will be a "great challenge."At a press conference Sunday in Madrid, Cardinal Raymundo Damasceno Assis, president of the Brazilian episcopal conference; Archbishop Orani Jo�o Tempesta of Rio de Janeiro; and Bishop Eduardo Pinheiro da Silva, president of the bishops' commission for youth; said that the choice of Rio de Janeiro as the next WYD host city is a "very special moment for the Church in Brazil." After expressing his gratitude to the Holy Father for entrusting Rio de Janeiro and Brazil with this "great challenge," Archbishop Tempesta explained that he will shortly contact the Pontifical Council for the Laity to begin the preparations. The archbishop stated that WYD '13 will be held at the end of July (when schools are on vacation in Brazil), and he said he is already awaiting the Pontiff's announcement of the theme. Continent Cardinal Damasceno spoke of the organization of the Church in Latin America through CELAM, the Latin American episcopal council. He said this will make it easier to work together and attract the "largest possible number of young people and many more countries." The cardinal also noted that the preparatory work will be intense, as WYD will be taking place a year ahead of the soccer World Cup, which Brazil will host in 2014. "We have one year less to prepare the Day; this means more intense work because we have no time to lose," he said. Cardinal Damasceno reminded that Latin America is the continent with the largest number of Catholics, and he assured that WYD "will bring many fruits, not only for Brazil's youth but for the whole continent." For his part, Bishop Pinheiro da Silva predicted that WYD '13 "will show a Church that is alive and creative, in part because of the young people. Brazilian youth, with their creativity, will give us a lovely Day for the whole world." The bishops added that the Brazilian government is very eager to host the event. Rio's WYD will be the second in South America. Buenos Aires, Argentina, hosted World Youth Day in 1987.
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