Young Sri Lankans at WYD to make society a “place of love”
by Melani Manel Perera
Nineteen young men and women from ten dioceses are on their way. “I hope they will be able to challenge their more secularised contemporaries who are influenced by the materialist culture of the times,” Youth Federation chaplain says.
Colombo (AsiaNews) – “The kids going to Spain will represent Sri Lanka. They will have many experiences to bring home to make our society a place of love,” said Mgr Chandrasiri Perera, bishop of Ratnapura, who is going with the Sri Lankan delegation to the World Youth Day (16-21 August) that left tonight for Madrid. Foreign donors paid for the airfare but the kids applied themselves for their visas.
Under the aegis of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Sri Lanka (CBCSL), the Laity Commission of Sri Lanka and the Youth Federation of ten dioceses, 19 youths, male and female, were selected for the Madrid trip. The youths will be accompanied by Fr Anura Sylvester, national chaplain of the Youth Federation in Sri Lanka, and seven diocesan priests.
For Mgr Perera, the Sri Lankan delegation will be larger. “The 19 were chosen by the Federation, but we know that many others will travel to Madrid on their own.”
Fr Sylvester had a prayer for the young people preparing to leave. “I hope these youth will be able to involve their dioceses and share the spiritual experiences they will have at WYD. I hope they will be able to challenge their more secularised contemporaries who are influenced by the materialist culture of the times.”
Under the aegis of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Sri Lanka (CBCSL), the Laity Commission of Sri Lanka and the Youth Federation of ten dioceses, 19 youths, male and female, were selected for the Madrid trip. The youths will be accompanied by Fr Anura Sylvester, national chaplain of the Youth Federation in Sri Lanka, and seven diocesan priests.
For Mgr Perera, the Sri Lankan delegation will be larger. “The 19 were chosen by the Federation, but we know that many others will travel to Madrid on their own.”
Fr Sylvester had a prayer for the young people preparing to leave. “I hope these youth will be able to involve their dioceses and share the spiritual experiences they will have at WYD. I hope they will be able to challenge their more secularised contemporaries who are influenced by the materialist culture of the times.”
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