«Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations» (Mt 28 :19).
Having adopted this motto, the Archdiocese of Rio de Janeiro is preparing to welcome thousands, perhaps millions, of young people for World Youth Day, July 23-28, 2013.

It will be a time of faith, of fellowship, of exchange, of building up, characterized by the meeting of faces and cultures from the four corners of the world with one goal alone : an encounter with Jesus Christ and the extension of his Kingdom.

The local organizing committee here in the Archdiocese of Rio (LOC) has worked hard so that everything might be ready for the big event. The various parishes of the city of Rio and the other cities which make up greater Rio have spared no effort to bring to reality the dream of holding WYD here and to mobilize young, and not so young, parishioners to put their best foot forward for this event which is already seen as a unique opportunity for the entire Brazilian Church. Numerous meetings, catechetical model sessions, volunteer orientation, media kits and information sessions, monthly prayer vigils, fun nights, and «feijoadas»  (pot luck suppers à la brésilenne) have been held by way of preparation.

The program for this year’s WYD basically will follow the model used in preceding years. Certain « main events » form the backbone of the gathering: the opening ceremony, the Pope’s welcome, the catecheses, the Way of the Cross, the all-night vigil, and the closing Mass. Nevertheless, the LOC has prepared many other opportunities that will give a specifically Carioca (Rio de Janeiro) and Brazilian face to this year’s 28th edition of WYD : various expositions in the different museums of the city, at least 20 special outdoor exhibits with cultural programming, organized visits at tourist sites, and times for sharing and just having a good time.

The Archdiocese has been preparing the city of Rio to welcome those attending WYD but is also inviting the entire nation of Brazil and the young people of the world to warmly welcome the next Pope since Brazil will be one of the first, if not the first, countries to welcome him----one more reason for so much joy and happiness.

For such a large and important event, preparation is necessary not just for the organizing teams but also for the young people who will attend WYD. That is why so many dioceses and religious groups are preparing missionary weeks to precede WYD. We, Assumptionists, are in the midst of preparing a pre-event mission for all the pilgrims being sponsored by Assumptionists throughout the world. From July 15-20 these young people will gather in the town of Eugenópolis in the state of Minas Gerias, a site chosen because of its importance in the history of the Assumptionists in Brazil and because of its particular features as a Church community. These days will be days of celebration, sharing, work, and getting to know one another and the people of this Assumptionist parish with its many outstations. It’ll be an opportunity to deepen the Assumptionist charism and to get warmed up for the « main event » in Rio.

During WYD many of these young people will be lodged in our parish of the Most Holy Trinity in Rio. Our parishioners, at the behest of our pastor, Fr. Luis Gonzaga, have responded enthusiastically and are readying their homes to receive these pilgrims.

Coming from many different cultures and speaking different languages, these Assumptionist pilgrims will enjoy an experience that unites them by means of the common language of fraternal love and by the common desire to know, follow, and announce Jesus Christ.

May Our Lady of Aparecida, Saint Sebastian, Saint Frei Galvão, Saint Theresa of the Child Jesus and Blessed John Paul II, the patron saints of this WYD, intercede for us before God for this momentous event in the life of the Church of Brazil and the of the world. May the Holy Spirit awaken in the hearts of the young people who will attend a desire to meet the Lord in the preparation for and the actual experience of WYD. There is no doubt that WYD will be a source of great blessing calling young people to assume their mission in announcing Jesus, disciples initiating in their turn a new and transformative proclamation of the Good News in view of the extension of the Kingdom of God.

We’re waiting for you here in Rio!

Fr. Marco Aurélio, AA
Most Blessed Trinity Parish – Rio de Janeiro