The contact of young people with the Risen Christ at World Youth Day (WYD) Lisbon 2023 has awakened in many hearts the desire to live a new life in God. Just like the theme of the event, “Mary got up and left in haste” (Lk 1:39), the youth of the Diocese of Lisbon also felt the call to leave in haste to live a missionary experience.
Rui Valério shared that “the enormous fruit of the day was the realization that the young people are once again with the Church and are once again with Christ”. From this return and awakening of young people, the Diocese of Lisbon will begin an unprecedented experience:
“We, in Lisbon, are going to start an unprecedented experience, in which young people, for various reasons, have volunteered to interrupt their professional or study paths in order to join a year-long mission experience within the patriarchate, sharing a community experience in certain parishes.”
The patriarch also spoke about the new way young people are looking at the needs, shortcomings and vulnerabilities of human beings, as a result of WYD Lisbon 2023. According to him, it’s common to find groups of young people on the streets of Lisbon setting up shelters to take food, clothes and other supplies to those most in need.
Check out the full interview with Bishop Rui Valério:
Remember WYD Lisbon 2023
WYD Lisbon 2023 remains in the memories of many young people. Below, we’ve put together a few moments to remember these very special days for young people all over the world.
Shalom Catholic Community in Lisbon
The Shalom Catholic Community is present in Portugal with three missions: Braga, Lisbon and Setúbal, and it is part of this movement of evangelization with young people in the diocese in the capital, reinforcing Bishop Rui Valério’s call for a missionary Church “that understands that every man and woman is a challenge, is a call, is a vocation for us and needs our proclamation, our presence, our service, our love. A missionary Church.”
As part of its evangelizing and missionary work, the Community develops moments of prayer, formation and seminars on life in the Holy Spirit to spread the experience of the Risen Christ, taking steps to make Pope Francis’ call for an outgoing Church a reality every day: “the Church does not exist for its own sake, but to bring Christ to the world, to proclaim the Gospel to the nations”.
Read more: Shalom Mission Trip begins in the Philippines – Shalom Catholic Community (comshalom.org)
