Benedict XVI has addressed the youth in a message that begins thus: “I invite you once more to take part in this important event. The celebrated statue of Christ the Redeemer overlooking the beautiful Brazilian city will be an eloquent symbol for us. Christ`s open arms are a sign of his willingness to embrace all those who come to him, and his heart represents his immense love for everyone and for each of you. Let yourselves be drawn to Christ! Experience this encounter along with all the other young people who will converge on Rio for the next World Youth Day! Accept Christ’s love and you will be the witnesses so needed by our world.”
The message, which can be read wholly in the official webpage of the World Youth Day, https://www.rio2013.com, continues thus: The Church, in continuing this mission of evangelization, is also counting on you… You are the first missionaries among your contemporaries! At the end of the Second Vatican Council- whose fiftieth anniversary we are celebrating this year – the Servant of God Paul VI consigned a message to the youth of the world. It began: “It is to you, young men and women of the world, that the Council wishes to address its final message. Build with enthusiasm a better world than what we have today!”
Augustinian Recollect WYD 2013
The Secretariat of Educational Apostolate and Youth Ministry of the Order has begun to organize the II International Encounter of the Augustinian Recollect Youth which will take place on July 19 to 23 at the Colegio Santo Agostinho in Leblon, Rio de Janeiro. The Augustinian Recollect Youth will take part in the activities of the World Youth Day on July 23 to 28.
In order that all youngsters associated to the Order may be able to participate and since the Augustinian Recollect Youth have not been organized in all the ministries of the Order, the Secretariat states clearly that “youngster will be able to participate, even if they do not belong to the Augustinian Recollect Youth, as long as they are disposed to accept the demands and proper dynamics of such an encounter. In this case, the religious in-charge will choose a small group of young men and women, to possibly become catechists, monitors, leaders . . . , who after the Encounter can become promoters of the Augustinian
Recollect Youth in their respective ministries. The first International Encounter of the Augustinian Recollect Youth, held in Madrid in 2012, gathered half a thousand Augustinian Recollect Youth. In this second Encounter, the number is expected to increase, due to a strong Augustinian Recollect presence in Brazil. The Secretariat of the Order has sent information with concrete guidelines to those in-charge of the youth ministry of the eight provinces of the Order present in other 18 countries.