AMERICA/CHILE - “National Youth Mission 2005”: young Chilean Catholics reach out to evangelise their peers. New web site offers information on mission

Wednesday, 16 February 2005

Santiago (Fides Service) - Preparations for National Youth Mission 2005, organised by Chilean Youth Pastoral Office with the slogan “You are my brother”, are at the final stage and will end on March 25. The Youth Mission will open on Holy Saturday March 26 during the Easter Vigil Mass at the end of which the young missionaries will receive their mandate. The purpose of the mission is to announce Jesus Christ to all young people in particular those who are distant from the Church with new vigour. The young missionaries will reach out to their peers in the different places of life and encounter them to invite them to be disciples of Jesus Christ.
Recently the organisers opened a web site to spread information on the mission (http://www.iglesia.cl/pastoraljuvenil/). This new space is to serve as a point of encounter for young Catholics in Chile especially to provide information on initiatives for this period of mission all over the national territory. According to information sent to Fides Ricardo Nadales, in charge of the mission, the web site offers illustration of every stage of the mission as well as news and information to make Youth Pastoral and its organisation better known. A special Youth Mission Handbook has been issued offering the country’s dioceses suggestions for the organisation, planning and actual activity of mission, indications for the formation of the young missionaries and material for use during the mission and in the post-mission period.
The idea of “Youth Mission” emerged at the 25th National Youth Pastoral Meeting in 2002 and was approved by the Bishops of Chile during a plenary assembly in April 2004. The year 2005 was chosen because Pastoral Guidelines issued by the Bishops’ come to an end this year, and there are three important events: the canonisation of Rev. Alberto Hurtado, apostle of youth, 20th World Youth Day in Germany and lastly an electoral period at the end of 2005, to which the Mission can offer a contribution promoting the participation and social commitment of young people.
Preparations for the mission, a period for planning and coodinating the mission in dioceses and movements, and for forming the young missionaries started in October 2004 and will close on 25 March. The Mission will start on 26 March Holy Saturday and close on 15 May the feast of Pentecost. The post mission period 16 May to 20 August will close with the celebration of the 20th World Youth Day in Cologne Germany. (RG) (Agenzia Fides 16/2/2005; righe 30, parole 390)


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