WYD 2023 meeting to be held in Lisbon

Fatima, June 16, 2021 (Ecclesia) – The evangelism process of the Sementes project of the Archdiocese of Braga and the intergenerational project “Adopt a grandfather” from the Diocese of Portalegre-Castelo-Branco were presented to Catholics today. bishops, in the pastoral days of the episcopate in Fatima.

Rita Santos explained to ECCLESIA that the Adopt Grandpa project emerged in March 2020 in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic to connect young people with older people and “fight despair and isolation”.

“We were subject to conditions, but that was not an excuse for us to stop. The project started with phone calls from adults to seniors every day of the week or four, five times, ”he added at the end of the day.

According to Rita Santos, the intergenerational project was covered in the media and “grew”, in the end they succeeded “28 couples and many are suspended.”

For Christmas 2020, the secretariat of the youth ministry of the Diocese of Portalegre-Castelo-Branco reinvented the project and wrote postcards for the elderly in their homes because “there were no visitors and they could not spend Christmas at home”.

“This again exceeded expectations: more than 500 volunteers, we delivered more than 1600 postcards. Then we continued with some houses for Easter, and now we intend to continue, ”added the young woman.

Maria Amorim from the Archdiocese of Braga presented a short-term volunteer project “Sementes” aimed at students of the University of Minho.

“University students go through a Christian journey in essentially nine months and then volunteer during their summer vacations in developing African countries,” he explained to ECCLESIA, adding that they accept “all people, regardless of religion. “.

Maria Amorim, coordinator of Sementes, notes that there are many young people who “never contacted and did not know about Christ,” and in the project they begin to “open the doors to the life that Christ led in society” and how his life “ can be a life project “for them.

Fatima Zorro has been part of the University Pastoral Project of the Archdiocese of Braga since December 2020 because she “wanted to become a volunteer” and over time “discovered its Christian connotation” and became more and more involved.

“I have discovered a few things over the past few months, I have distanced myself from the Church, although I did Confirmation, and it was a rapprochement that I did not expect: it was truly transformative, and this is what makes us want to always come back, keep going and do everything. possible, ”he told ECCLESIA.

The two projects and the TALITA QUM Meetings in Coimbra were presented as a youth and evangelism reception by the Synod of Bishops (2018) on the way to World Youth Day in Lisbon 2023.

“Sometimes we really don’t know how we can use our opportunities, we want to help but don’t know how, we want to take care, but we don’t know if this is the best way or who we should join. The goal of this project was also to provide this path, ”said Rita Santos of the Adopt Grandpa project.

The Pastoral Days of the Portuguese Episcopate, which began on Monday, were dedicated to the theme “Reception of the Synod of Bishops for Youth and World Youth Day in Lisbon 2023”.

The speaker was the Salesian Father Rossano Sala, who in 2018 was the Special Secretary of the 15th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops for Youth, Faith and Professional Discernment.

The religious is currently teaching youth ministry at the Pontifical Salesian University.

LS / CB / OC