MANILA, August 2, 2011?In preparation for the World Youth Day in Madrid, the Delegation Secretariat of the Episcopal Commission on Youth (ECY) had their preparatory session that included a reflection on Pope Benedict XVI’s WYD 2011 message, as well as some handy Spanish lessons.
Last July 25, Stephen Borja and Lea Dasigan of the National Secretariat for Youth Apostolate had facilitated a session for 14 members of the Delegation Secretariat.
Both Borja and Dasigan are going animate a catechetical site during the WYD celebration in Madrid.
Borja talked about the importance of the preparatory session, which other sub-groups under the ECY–Philippines delegation will also undergo.
“We are the sub-group that is in service to the delegates and this session allowed us to feel the preparation of the sub-groups and at the same time, prepares us as a sub-group,” Borja explained.
The group took time to read the WYD message of the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI with the theme, “Planted and built up in Jesus Christ, firm in the Faith” (Col 2:7). The participants also shared about points in the message that struck them.
The Spanish-Filipino Connection
The preparatory session consists of a backgrounder on the close ties between the Philippines and Spain. The delegates revisited the Spanish influence on the Filipino language, culture, demographics and religion.
Basic information about Spain, particularly Madrid was also given like what time people in Spain have their meals and the emergency number in Madrid, among others.
The delegates were visibly excited for the WYD after the preparatory session.
Fr. Conegundo Garganta, the Executive Secretary of ECY was also there to participate, together with Fr. Ransom Rapirap, OCD, a cluster head of the official Philippine delegation, ECY-Philippines.
Final preparations
The delegation has four clusters, which will each be assigned to a parish for the pre-WYD activities called the ‘Days in the Diocese’.
The Delegation Secretariat together with the other sub-groups had preparatory sessions prior to the final preparatory session as a delegation. The sub-groups, for example, were given a module which required them to plant trees as a sub-group.
Other groups and individual pilgrims who are not part of ECY-Philippines will not have preparatory sessions, but are invited to do so on their own.
The preparatory session for the entire Philippine delegation will take place at St. Pedro Poveda College on August 6-7. It is the culmination of the groundwork for all the pilgrims under ECY-Philippines. (Jandel Posion)
