PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 5, 2023
120 Pilgrims to Carry Prayer Intentions to World Youth Day 2023 in Lisbon
Archbishop Marcel Damphousse invites the community members of the Archdiocese of Ottawa-Cornwall to share their prayer intentions throughout the month of July. They will be entrusted to the World Youth Day 2023 (#WYD2023) pilgrims charged with bringing them to Our Lady of Fatima shrine with the archbishop at the end of their journey. To share your intention, click on the World Youth Day banner on the main page of the diocesan website at www.ottawacornwall.ca.
The delegation also encourages people to act as “prayer champions” by committing to pray for 120 Catholic youth traveling to Lisbon, Portugal, on August 1-6, 2023. All are invited to celebrate the Commissioning Mass at Notre Dame Cathedral Basilica in Ottawa at 5:00 PM on Sunday, July 9, 2023. You can follow all the Diocesan World Youth Day events using our @ottawacornwall handle or #WYD2023OttawaCornwall.
Details about the World Youth Day Pilgrimage
“Days in the Dioceses,” a gathering of youth preceding #WYD2023, will take place on July 26-31, 2023, in seventeen dioceses throughout Portugal, including the islands. Participants will stay in public or parish facilities, or family homes, discover the region, the local Church, and its features, and join local parish communities in prayer, leisure, and initiatives organized across Lisbon, including five central events:
(1) Opening Mass, presided by the Cardinal Patriarch of Lisbon, Manuel Clemente
(2) Welcome Ceremony, presided by Pope Francis
(3) Way of the Cross
(4) Vigil, featuring Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament with the Holy Father, and
(5) Missioning Mass presided by the Holy Father.
Since 1986, World Youth Day has assembled millions of young people from around the world to celebrate their faith in God and love for the Church, offering them a unique opportunity to gather with the Pope and, above all, grow in their love of God. It is an event that is open to everyone and while it is aimed at those aged 14 to 30, pilgrims of all ages are welcome to register. Local hashtags are #WYD23ottawacornwall and #JMJ23ottawacornwall. For further information about the event, please visit https://www.lisboa2023.org/en.
For more information or for an interview, please contact:
Fr. Alain Guèvremont
Executive Assistant to Archbishop Marcel Damphousse
(613) 738-5025 ext. 238 | Cell.: (613) 219-1445
www.ottawacornwall.ca