Dear friends,
The Holy Doors are by now wide open, in Bangui, in Rome, in all our cathedrals and in so many significant places. In this extraordinary year, the Jubilee of Mercy, we are journeying towards the XXXI WYD  which will see us going from our local Churches to Krakow between  the 21st and the 26th July when we will be celebrating together the Jubilee of Young People, as representatives of  all the young people all over the world!

In our CA groups, together with the young people in our dioceses, we are preparing ourselves by intensifying our prayers and reflections and practising the “works” of Mercy.

The Youth Coordination Group would like to suggest that we all make this journey together as our heart beats with the local Church and with the universal Church: it is an individual and/or collective itinerary on the Beatitudes, based on the passage from the Gospel of Matthew Chapter 5.

We will be accompanied by our dear friend Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati whom Saint John Paul II – as Archbishop of Krakow – described as “the man of the eight beatitudes”. This link between Pier Giorgio and the Beatitudes was also taken up by Pope Benedict and Pope Francis!

Let us not forget that we are in the “frassatiano” year which started on the 4th July 2015 (90 years from the death of the blessed) and which will be concluded at the WYD in Krakow, where we will be able to venerate his corpse in the Dominican Church.

The course follows eight stages based on the eight beatitudes.

Each stage offers:
•an explanation prepared by Mgr. Mansueto Bianchi – IFCA Ecclesiastical Assistant, a Bible scholar
•some texts on and by Pier Giorgio Frassati so as to get to know him better
• an excerpt from the WYD Message by the Pope

and an invitation to put the message into concrete practice in our daily commitments through the corporal and spiritual works of mercy.

The course could be divided as follows:
• January – Introduction
• February – First Beatitude
• March – Second and third Beatitude
• April – Fourth and fifth Beatitude
• May – Sixth and seventh Beatitude
• June – Eighth Beatitude and an invitation to pray for the persecuted Christians
• July – 4 July: Memorial of the Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati; 26-31 July WYD: 27 July CA Youth Meeting

How can the scheme be used? – to help you in your personal prayers and reflections, with your parish group, during diocesan events, for retreats, ….

It could also be an occasion to share part of our journey towards Krakow with young people from other youth groups, movements and with those responsible for Pastoral Youth Work.

You could also involve cloistered monks and nuns to join us in this journey.

We would like to ask you for an extra effort as regards communication
1.   to share the experiences of your preparations for WYD during these coming months on FB and on the website … itineraries and national and diocesan activities for those who will be going to Krakow and for those who will be staying behind
2.  how to reach you with further information
3.  particularly to invite you to a possible meeting for CA youth promoted by the Youth Coordination Group in Krakow. WHERE? We can already tell you that our point of reference will be Blessèd Pier Giorgio Frassati in the Dominican Church. WHEN? The probability is on Wednesday between 2.00 p.m. and 4 p.m.

We thank you for your attention and send you our best wishes!!!

With the words of Pope Francis on Christmas Day : It is Christmas of the Holy Year of Mercy, and so I pray that all can welcome into their lives the mercy of God which Jesus Christ has bestowed on us, so that we in turn can show mercy to our brothers and sisters. In this way, we will make peace grow!

URBI ET ORBI BENEDICTION TEXT

and from the message for the World Day of Peace 2016 In the spirit of the Jubilee of Mercy, all of us are called to realize how indifference can manifest itself in our lives and to work concretely to improve the world around us, beginning with our families, neighbours and places of employment.

MESSAGE TEXT 

Let us keep united in prayers

Codruta Fernea

Write to us on email address: info@fiacifca.org or on facebook (indicate CG – Youth Coordination – page!): www.facebook.com/fiacyouthcoordination