Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Rome (Fides Service) - On August 10 six buses will carry 300 young Italian boys and girls aged 16-29 connected with the Oblate Missionaries of Mary Immaculate to the German village of Hünfeld to take part in days of preparation for the 20th World Youth Day WYD in Cologne. This group will be joined by another 150 young people for the main events 15-21 August, Fr. Pasquale Castrilli OMI told Fides adding that most are members of the Costruire youth movement. The group will be accompanied by 15 OMI priests and six seminarians.
These days in Hünfeld village among a small population of 2,000 and a large Oblate community are very important because they will be an opportunity for young Italians and young Germans to come together. The visitors will stay with local families and meet the German culture. The Oblates in Germany have worked for two years to prepare to accomodate groups from all over the world of WYD participants accompanied by OMI missionaries.
The park around Hünfeld OMI community will be the venue for various initiatives for this international meeting of about 1,500 young people with connections with OMI. During the mornings local youngsters will accompany the young visitors in small groups to learn about the local history and culture. They will be taken to visit the main town in the area Fulda and Alfa Point Museum built on the site of the Berlin Wall which separated the people of Western and Eastern Germany.
In the afternoons they will gather in the OMI community grounds for prayer and festivities. On 12 August young Italian members of the Costruire movement will perform a musical play on the life of Saint Eugene De Mazenod founder of the OMI missionaries.
These young people connected with OMI who will take part in WYD have prepared for months with various initiatives including: youth days, parish and youth missions, mission exhibitions, reflection on the Word of God and the teaching of the Pope. Recently young people connected with OMI in the Campania area around Naples produced a situation-comedy on the Three Wise Men in four installments.
The Oblate mission in Rumania is also sending a small delegation of five young people and three Oblates to WYD in Germany. These young people prepared with four spirituality weekends at Maracineni OMI Community which focused on increasing reciprocal knowledge. One of the week-ends focused on “special WYD participants” Saint Eugene, Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 18/7/2005 righe 34, parole 484)
