NIGERIA: Youth connect with faith at World Youth Day
6 youth travel from Nigeria to participate with youth from around the world
NIGERIA
(MissionNewswire) Six youth from the Salesian ANN Province in Nigeria were among the 1.5 million participants at World Youth Day 2023 in Lisbon, Portugal. The youth stood as beacons of faith, sharing the cultural richness of Nigeria and fostering a deeper connection to the global youth community.
Isaac Ojo shared his excitement, “The Salesian family is one of a kind. Even as I was not in my own country, it still felt like my home. Getting to meet Salesians from different parts of the world and sharing our experiences together makes you feel the Don Bosco spirit among us. At World Youth Day, the vibe was on a different level, you could feel the vibe from each country, vibrant and youthful.”
Fasehun Oluwakorede Mary expressed her awe at the event and her own spiritual awakening. “The program was really a pilgrimage journey as everyone had to walk from their different locations to the centers where the events were to take place. It was indeed spirit filled and enlightening. There were both Catholics and non-Catholics in attendance along with 30 cardinals, 700 bishops and 10,000 priests.”
Father Ángel Fernández Artime, rector major of the Salesians, emphasized, “By God’s grace, I have the great gift of experiencing World Youth Day in Lisbon with hundreds of thousands of young people from all over the world, including about 9,000 boys and girls from the Salesian Youth Movement who come from 134 countries of the many continents where our works are present. I am convinced that all the young people who have traveled to Lisbon feel in their hearts that something beautiful and good is about to happen in their lives.”
Among the many activities at World Youth Day, Pope Francis met with dignitaries, clergy, and victims of abuse as he underscored his commitment to dialogue, healing, and renewal. The youth held a special place in his agenda, with encounters that encouraged them to seek and take risks in creating a world that centers on the human person. Pope Francis’ visit to the Hill of Encounter and the Park of Forgiveness symbolized his belief in the transformative power of faith and reconciliation.
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Sources:
ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)
ANS – Nigeria – “WYD was a transformative experience for us”, affirm ANN Youth
