Last Updated: Tuesday - 01/04/2011

Collins urges sisters to be active in World Youth Day

EDMONTON — Religious orders should help ensure the success of World Youth Day, Archbishop Thomas Collins told women religious June 16.

"I think that World Youth Day is a profoundly important event (but) it can go different ways. If it is simply a big event, we will have a big celebration then we'll clean up, then it will be over. But it will not have much of an effect."

But he said the tradition of WYD has been "to have deep spiritual preparation and to really get into it so fully that it has long-lasting effects."

One effect of WYD in other countries, has been to encourage more vocations to religious life, he said.

The first event of World Youth Day that will touch the archdiocese directly is the pilgrimage of the cross.

The cross will be in the Edmonton area Nov. 18-20. It will be the focal point of a large celebration with senior high students at the Skyreach Centre the morning of Nov. 19.

But while the Skyreach event is aimed at high school students, Collins wants the focus of WYD to be on young adults.

The age range for WYD has traditionally been 18 to 35 but, the archbishop said, "now it's been somewhat lowered for the Toronto event from 16 to 35."

He is not sold on that idea. WYD should remain focused on young adults, he said.

Collins said 10 and 12 year olds are already involved in the Church. "It is (to those) 18 and over where we have a particular need to be attentive."

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