News and Events

Our Youth Respond

Submitted by Madeleine Marchildon, Prince Albert

“In Christ our faith! En Christ notre foi!” Such was the opening song of WYD 2011 resounding on March 19 from the Sacred Heart Cathedral, Prince Albert. Some 50 World Youth Day youth and their elders from the French and bilingual parishes from the Saskatoon and Prince Albert dioceses gathered for a liturgical day of mini-conferences, witnessings, testimonies of 2008 WYD, interviews of the 2011 WYD pilgrims to Madrid, Spain, and a Seder meal.

After the opening prayer, led by Omer Ranger, Anita Francon inspiringly developed the Lenten liturgical theme: “Le Seigneur regarde le Coeur – The Lord sees the heart”, and the Easter theme “Vous êtes des pierres vivantes – You are living stones” to help us all prepare the Pascal mysteries. Deanne Blais and Marc Cyr, 2008 WYD pilgrims, enthusiastically shared their cherished memories and experiences in Sydney, Australia.

Following these testimonies, Bishop Albert Thévenot explained the theme for the upcoming World Youth Days from August 16 to 25 in Madrid, Spain: “Enracinés et fondés en Christ…Affermis dans la foi – Planted and built up in Christ…Firm in faith. (Col. 2.7)”.

Bishop Thévenot expressed the world’s great need and longing for disciples deeply rooted in Christ to commit themselves to Christ in this world of ours. He stated that we live in a secular society, sometimes even anti-religious. However, there is hope, he reassured his listeners. Pope Benedict XVI is responding when he chose the theme for the youth of WYD 2011: “We are rooted….founded in Christ…Firm in Faith!” He encouragingly insisted, “It is through our baptism that we belong…become one with Him and His Church.” He added, “There is much relativism in the world, but youth want faith, relational faith, relational to God, others and self! He challenged young and old to embrace and share their faith in a joyful and life-giving way.

After Bishop Thévenot’s powerful talk on accepting to live out our calling, the nine WYD 2011 pilgrims were invited to give reasons for their decision to go on this pilgrimage, stating their itinerary and commitment to serve the Church. The parishes, in turn, committed themselves to support the pilgrims in prayer, encouragement, fundraising and involvement in parish life. In the interviews, Danielle Gaudet (Prince Albert) and Micheline Perreault (Trinity), two grade 11 students, expressed their desires to deepen their faith and to know Jesus in a more personal way. Mary Perrault, a young mother, shared the “Pilgrim’s 7 Be’s: Be prompt, be polite, be positive, be patient, be prepared, be proper and be prayerful.” One youth added that all must be prepared to participate and pull together. Fr. Maurice Fiolleau outlined the pilgrimage itinerary for the 71 pilgrims of the Prince Albert diocese. Bishop Thévenot listed the important religious sites to be visited in Italy: Rome, Assisi, Florence; in Spain: Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Grenada, Toledo, Avila and Segovia, places where St. Thérèse d’Avila and St. John of the Cross lived. He wishes to have a commissioning celebration for the pilgrims just prior to their departure. “Our youth represents our diocese”, he shared. Likewise, he plans a similar liturgical celebration upon their return to permit them to witness to “how God works in their lives. 

In the afternoon, a Jewish Seder meal commemorated the liberation and journey of the people of God out of slavery in Egypt to freedom in the Promised Land. Bishop Thévenot and the WYD 2011 pilgrims sat at the Seder table while the other numerous participants were seated in two concentric semi-circles in front to be able to celebrate in unison. For most of them, it was a first experience.

Following the meaningful and prayerful celebration of the Jewish Passover, Sylvia Dion, Donald Perrault and Bishop Thévenot, in a Round Table presentation, deepened our understanding of Holy Thursday, Good Friday, the Easter Vigil and the Resurrection. Bishop Thévenot ended by affirming, “Our faith is in the resurrected Christ and in the empty tomb! He is our hope and joy!” Yvette Gareau, Diocesan Archivist, linked “Our spiritual liberation and our journey to freedom” to the day’s themes.

The French sect Animation Liturgique, part of the Diocesan Commission for Liturgy, will be celebrating 35 years of dedication. It strives to improve the quality and understanding of liturgy. French and bilingual parishes from the Saskatoon and Prince Albert dioceses meet twice a year, spring and fall. The next liturgical day is November 5, 2011 at the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Prince Albert. The focus of that day will be to deepen one’s understanding of the Eucharist and study the upcoming changes proposed by the Church.