World Youth Day 2019 – Day 3 (Evening)
By Mary Brazell
Bishop Vincent Long OFM Conv is leading 171 pilgrims from the Diocese of Parramatta to World Youth Day 2019 (WYD).
WYD 2019 will be a pilgrimage to Mexico, Panama and the United States for a two-week festival of faith with millions of youth from around the world joining Pope Francis for an encounter with Jesus and deeper faith formation.
The Diocese of Parramatta Communications Team will be capturing stories during WYD 2019. You can follow the pilgrimage below through our daily updates and on parrawyd.org.
For Day 1, click here
For Day 1 (In Transit), click here
For Day 2, click here
For Day 3, click here
A night of Mexican magnificence wows pilgrims
Mariachis, Mexican dancers and performers delighted World Youth Day 2019 pilgrims from the Diocese of Parramatta at a cultural night hosted by the Archdiocese of Puebla’s Seminary of Palafoxiano.
The evening began with a warm welcome from seminarians followed by a Mass celebrated by the Archbishop of Puebla, Most Rev Victor Sánchez Espinosa and concelebrated by Most Rev Vincent Long OFM Conv, Bishop of Parramatta and priests from the Diocese of Parramatta and the Archdiocese of Puebla.
In his homily, Bishop Vincent called upon the pilgrims to not be content with status quo but to have a “more faithful, generous and courageous discipleship…we cannot be content with the status quo.
“We cannot be the disciple of Jesus and stay put in our security. Discipleship is a journey that demands courage because it forces us to abandon security in favour of vulnerable trust, self-interest in favour of passion for justice and preferential option for God’s poor.”
Following the Mass, pilgrims moved to dinner where they were entertained by an array of local cultural performances in what Bishop Vincent described in his word of thanks to Archbishop Victor as the pilgrims, “highlight of the journey so far”.
Mexican cultural dancing is rich in colour and movement, fusing elements of native, colonial and present day Mexican elements. The pilgrims from the Diocese of Parramatta danced and sang with each other and with the local volunteers who had accompanied them in previous days.
View the photos from today here or click on the images below.
