Nigerian Catholic Youths Set to Participate in WYD 2023

July 15, 2023208 views0

Nigerian Catholic Youths Set to Participate in WYD 2023

2023-07-15T10:43:32+01:00

By Church News

According to the National Youth Animator and the Secretary of the Youth Committee of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), Fr. Boniface Idoko, Catholic youth in Nigeria, who are to take part in the planned World Youth Day (WYD) 2023 are “in high spirits”.In an interview, Fr. Boniface Idoko said the August 1-6 event scheduled to take place in Lisbon, Portugal, is not “for tourism or vacation” but a faith encounter with Christ.“Our youths are in high spirits to attend the WYD,” Fr. Idoko said.He added, “The World Youth Day is a faith encounter with Christ, not for tourism or vacation; it is going to open youth understanding about the gospel of Christ, from the catechesis they are going to receive and the testimonies they are going to share from other participants.”“It is expected that WYD will increase their devotion to the Catholic Church,” the National Youth Chaplain in Africa’s most populous nation said.The Catholic youth participating in WYD 2023 also stand to gain “the needed commitment to be true soldiers of Christ and also give them an opportunity to interact and build friendships with youths from other nations,” he said.Fr. Idoko highlighted preparations for the global event in Portugal, saying that the official delegation of Nigeria comprises 95 participants “coming from across the country.”“We also have four Bishops who will be joining the delegation to Lisbon,” Fr. Idoko said in reference to the Chairman for the Youth at CBCN, Bishop Patrick Eluke, alongside Archbishop Valerian Okeke of Onitsha, Bishop Michael Apochi of Otukpo, and Bishop John Oyejola of Oshogbo.ALSO READ: Catholic Dioceses in India Help Flood Victims