And they’ve been able to do this through the support of their community.
With tickets booked for a July 21 departure, Blacktown’s Cryste Degollacion will join 170 young people from 29 Western Sydney Catholic parishes and 28 Catholic schools to the giant event which will attract millions of other young people from around the world.
This is the first time many of the young pilgrims will be part of an event of this scale. They have the support of their schools, parishes and families to boost them along to the massive event being held in Lisbon from 1 to 6 August 1 to 6.
Parishioners of Cryste’s local church, Mary, Queen of the Family Parish at Blacktown have been keen to support the group of ten young people from the parish who are making the trip.
“This year has been full of events such as trivia nights, bingo nights and movie screenings. They are also thankful for the pastoral and spiritual support from their parish priest Fr. Regie Lavilla,” a Team Member said..
World Youth Day is a celebration bringing millions of young people together and is hosted in a different global city approximately every three years.
Pope Francis will be in attendance from August 2 to 6 and the highlight will be the Pope saying the concluding Mass in Lisbon which millions are likely to attend.
The Diocese of Parramatta, the Catholic Church in Western Sydney and the Blue Mountains, has a thriving youth culture, with Catholic youth groups throughout its 47 parishes, as well as 80 Catholic schools teaching 43,000 school students.
