Jubilee of young people

“Work in progress” for reception

Laura Galimberti

Thousands of young people, from all over, are expected from 10 to 14 August in Italian dioceses to then join other young Italian pilgrims from 14 to 20 August to take part in the XV World Youth Day. We asked Stefano Debreri, coordinator of one of the Rome prefectures which concrete steps have been taken at a local level to prepare the reception for August: First of all a significant network of communication has been established between the organising committee and the various dioceses. The parishes have organised a secretariat made up of 4 people, in constant contact with the Roman Committee, to raise awareness among the local community on the reception of young people, to provide all the information on the event and to organise the reception.

How are the communities responding?

The availability to receive is one of the hottest issues of the organisation: from each community a great effort is requested, a concrete sign of love towards others, which is manifested by opening the doors of one’s home to young “foreigners”. Everyone is called to make available and share what he has, possibly specialising oneself in a type of reception. For example, the parishes that have no structures and sites are responding by raising the awareness of the families present on the parish territory, those that have open spaces at their disposal where tents can be placed. Specifically in the XXVII prefecture, Ostia, beside the nine parishes present on the sector’s territory, numerous bodies, including schools and Catholic institutes, have shown their availability to receive young people making their spaces available.

What is requested from those who are available to receive?

The space to place a sleeping bag and the use of the bathroom from 10.30 p.m. to 8 a.m. of the following morning. Indeed, young people will follow the programme envisaged by the organisation during the day with catechesis, moments of feast and prayer, the jubilee pilgrimage… The meals will be supplied by the organisation, which will set up specific areas in every prefecture.

What will be the next steps?

The coordination of the prefecture will continue to meet every month to take stock of the situation, help each other with new ideas and suggestions which stem from the natural exchange in experiences and solutions found to raise awareness and involve the whole community, not just young people. At the moment, we are dealing with the reception of the Cross of World Youth Days, which will arrive in the prefecture between 6 and 13 February.

What will the reception of so many young people signify for Ostia?

A great gift: we are constantly aware of this in the meetings that have allowed so many young people to get to know and admire each other.