2008
July : Delegation to WYD in Australia: Melbourne (10-14 July) and Sydney (15-20 July):
Already since the success of Juventutem’s participation in WYD 2005 in Germany, Juventutem supporters in Australia have been working hard to prepare for the 2008 edition. Again Juventutem youths intend to bear witness to the beauty and variety of the Roman traditions of the Church, through solemn liturgies, doctrinal workshops, Eucharistic adoration and other activities. Our programme consists of one week in Melbourne, followed with another one in Sydney for the official WYD. Some Juventutem pilgrims have planned to stay one more week after WYD to explore the Australian outback. Consider travel to Australia and meet with many youths who might like to share your enthusiasm for the Roman traditions of the Church as most valuable means of conversation and evangelization.
June: Delegation to the International Eucharistic Congress in Québec, Canada (June 19-20-21-22, 2008):
None of us will ignore that the Juventutem logo depicts… a monstrance. Devotion of youths towards the Holy Eucharist is part and parcel of the Juventutem identity. Therefore Juventutem is glad to be able to partake in this important event. As members of the “Summorum Pontificum generation”, Juventutem youths will travel to Québec and partake in Eucharistic events (liturgical and doctrinal) as encouraged by Pope Benedict XVI: “young persons too have discovered this liturgical form, felt its attraction and found in it a form of encounter with the Mystery of the Most Holy Eucharist, particularly suited to them”(cf Letter to the Bishops on Summorum Pontificum, July 7th, 2007).
We are very grateful to a successor of the Apostles, Right Rev. André-Mutien Léonard, Bishop of Namur (Belgium) for having kindly accepted to offer a pontifical High Mass in the extraordinary form for Juventutem on this occasion with the approval of Congress authorities. You are invited to attend on Saturday 21th June 2008 in St Francis-of-Assisi Church at 10am in Québec City.
The Congress lasts one whole week, but many youths will rather attend the final week-end (20-21-22 June) when in particular various Juventutem chaplains will give lectures on the Eucharist, offer Holy Masses and preside at Vespers, Complines and adoration.
May, 15-31: Fr Frederic Voix, from Brazil, visiting Europe:
It is hoped that Fr Voix, in charge of an orphanage in Brazil, will travel to Europe. That would be an excellent opportunity for European Juventutem members to meet him and hear from him about his work among orphans. A diocesan priest, Fr Voix is one the 31 co-founders of Juventutem and brings pastoral support to a Juventutem group in his diocese.
May: Paris-Chartres Pentecost Pilgrimage in France (May 19-11-12, 2008):
Like last year, we intend to have a Juventutem chapter at the famous pilgrimage from Notre-Dame de Paris to Notre-Dame de Chartres in France on the week-end of Pentecost. All Juventutem members are cordially encouraged to come and walk this itinerary of grace with over 8,000 youths from various nationalities. Those who have already attended will know that this pilgrimage is the largest yearly all-walking Catholic pilgrimage on a week-end. Come and be uplifted for the next 362 days through this unique embodiment of Christendom “live”!
February : Latin America (25 February-8 March 2008):
Padre Angel Alfaro, the Juventutem Columbia Chaplain, will travel to Argentina and Chile to visit the local Juventutem groups. He will offer Holy Masses, preach, speak with the youths and provide counsel to all. (Picture below: Padre Alfaro teaching the faith in Columbia.)
February : Gathering in Bern, Switzerland (February 9-10, 2008):
[Hier: Artikel vom Katholisches Sonntagsblatt, 51/52 am 23. Dez. 2007]
[You can watch the videos here (the musical background is not ours...)]
You are all invited to partake in the Juventutem international gathering in Bern, Switzerland. From Saturday 9th February 3pm until Sunday 2pm (First Sunday of Lent), we will meet for Holy Masses, meals, official presentation of Juventutem to various youths, adults and benefactors. Each group is requested to send a delegate or email which member of the Bureau they ask to represent them fordecisions to be made during the assembly which we will hold on this week-end. Already delegates from England, Ireland, The Netherlands, Hungary, France, Italy, Switzerland, Spain, Lithuania, Slovakia, Hong Kong and Argentina have announced they would be present.
A surprise for you will be to discover the new Juventutem office in Bern.
Thanks to the zeal and generosity of various benefactors, Juventutem now has a place where all correspondence is kept and where, most importantly, (private) Holy Masses may be offered in a truly worthy manner if needed. Juventutem Treasurer Cosimo Marti has indeed brought together in the new office some very fine furniture, thus offering a most inspirational setting for private Masses there. It should be mentioned here how much Juventutem owes to him, as well as to Mr Heinz Müller, an ebenist of outstanding skill and discretion, who has literally donated hundreds of hours of his precious time for making or restoring the furniture for the sake of Juventutem which he enthusiastically supports.
Report : Grand meeting of the Juventutem Internacional Federation in Bern, Switzerland.A varied group of nearly 30 youths and clergy from 12 countries has gathered last weekend (9-10 February 2008) in the Swiss capital for the first grand meeting of the Juventutem International Federation, a society of lay youths aiming at the sanctification through the Roman Traditions of the Catholic Church.The group was lead by President Gregory Flash, Secretary David Oostveen and Treasurer Cosimo Marti, and Fr. Armand de Malleray as Ecclesiastical Assistant. We participated in several pious activities, such as adorations, Low and Solemn High Masses in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, and Adoration and Solemn traditional Vespers organized by the diocese of Fribourg, that take place in its majestic Cathedral on a monthly basis.Various nationalitiesTen countries had sent delegates; including France, England, Ireland, Italy, The Netherlands, Hungary, Lithuania and even Hong-Kong, plus a larger Swiss delegation and Slovakian and Spanish prospective members, one of them representing Argentina. Our groups from Kenya had sent written procuration and our other groups from Brazil, Columbia, Chile, and Scotland were represented by the President.There was also room for debate, because a number of agreements were reached in the future constitution of a Juventutem Foundation, a common rule for the local chapters of Juventutem’s logos, and the promotion of the Federation’s new website, www.juventutem.org.
[In Spanish] Gran reunión de la Federación Internacional Juventutem en Berna, SuizaUn nutrido grupo de jóvenes de varios países se ha reunido el pasado fin de semana en la capital suiza con motivo del primer encuentro de la Federación Internacional Juventutem, sociedad que busca la santificación de la Juventud a través de la promoción de las tradiciones romanas de la Iglesia.El grupo capitaneado por el Padre Armand de Malleray, FSSP y los seglares Cosimo Marti y Gregory Flash, que actuaron como anfitriones, participó en varias actividades pías, como Exposiciones del Santísimo, Misas en la forma Extraordinaria del Rito Romano (en su modalidad Rezada y Cantada) y en las solemnes vísperas tradicionales que organiza una vez al mes la Diócesis de Friburgo en su majestuosa catedral.Varias nacionalidadesAparte de la representación suiza, que era con mucho la más numerosa, han acudido jóvenes católicos de distintos países, como Francia, España, Italia, Inglaterra, Irlanda, Lituania, Holanda e incluso Honk-Kong. Algunos de ellos provenían de grupos ya constituidos de Juventutem, como es el caso italiano, y otros de grupos en formación, pero con vistas a ser oficialmente aceptados en la Federación.También hubo lugar para el debate, ya que la Federación ha llegado a una serie de acuerdos para constituir una Fundación Juventutem, una pauta común para los logos de los capítulos locales de Juventutem, y la promoción del nuevo sitio web de la Federación, www.juventutem.org.