World Youth Day-Toronto!

by Bill Casey

Each year dioceses throughout the country celebrate World Youth Day as a way of recognizing youth in their parishes. It is celebrated on the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time, which is usually the last Sunday in October. Parishes do various things to recognize youth and their involvement in the parish. This year World Youth Day was on Sunday, October 28, 2001. So take a look around and see who the young people are in your parish. The youth are an energetic presence and they have many gifts and abilities to offer. Sometimes they need to be invited to be a more active presence. Let us enjoy the youth of today and also for the future of our church as they will carry the responsibility of the Catholic Church for many years to come.

World Youth Day celebration in Toronto

The international celebration of World Youth Day 2002 will be held in Canada the week of July 23-28. Pope John Paul II calls together the youth of the world every other year. Our Holy Father looks forward to gathering young people from throughout the world as a positive sign of the impact of young people today. However, youth from throughout the world are not looked upon in the same way in each country. Until 1993, the minimum age for participation in the official event was 18. The 20 to 30 year age range was considered "youth." When the World Youth Day was held in Denver, Colorado, in 1993 the Bishops of the United States, realizing that our age for youth in America was the junior high to senior high level, decided to include young people that were in 9-12th grade and above.

The World Youth Day celebrations over the last years have been in the Philippians, France, Italy, and now on to Toronto. In a move by the Canadian Catholic Church officials we were asked to return to the age of 18 years of age on up through the 30’s. They said they wanted to restore it to the way the Vatican had intended it to be. Some weeks after the announcement dioceses were informed that it would once again be changed to the age of 16 years old for registered participants up through their 30’s. They also indicated that the program of events would still be directed toward individuals 18 and above.

Young adults wanting to go on this pilgrimage can sign up with their parishes. Parishes interested must contact the diocesan Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry for specific information. The Canadian Catholic Church has encouraged pilgrims to stay in host homes in Canada for this event rather than stay in hotels.

The theme of the 2002 world youth event comes from the scripture verse, "You are the salt of the earth." Young adults in the church today are searching to find their place. May they find their place and know that their gifts are needed in our church today and in the future.

For more information contact the Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry, (507) 359-2966.

Bill Casey is the director of Youth & Young Adult Ministry for the Diocese of New Ulm.