Locals celebrate their own Wourld Youth Day

AmazinGrace gives familiarity with urban issues

-WCR photo by Bill Glen April Aquino prepares a Mexican enchilada at our lady of Guadalupe Parish as part of AmazinGrace 2006.

By BILL GLEN
WCR Staff Writer
Edmonton

April Aquino knows it can be a lot of fun to serve as an example of Christ. If only she could attract more youth to see it for themselves.

That's why she helped organize AmazinGrace 2006 as part of the WYD@home event May 20 that involved visiting several Edmonton parishes and service agencies. It was a day filled with activities teaching the kids about Christ and community.

"We originally did this (last year) for the youth who couldn't make it to World Youth Day in Germany (2005) because they were not 18 yet," said Aquino, 22, a member of St. Andrew's Parish and Youth for Christ.

"The concept was that different parishes could put teams together and run the race."

Annual event

A Youth for Christ group approached Andrew Papenbrock who thought it might become an annual event together with WYD@Home.

"Like April says, World Youth Day is a pilgrimage we live every day. I think the youth know how important the word of God is to their lives," said Papenbrock, youth and young adult ministry coordinator for the Edmonton Archdiocese.

Aquino strives to bring youth together to share cultural differences in a community of faith.

"As much as they are friends in school, here some of them really feel they are themselves. They meet new friends and they get to know Jesus a lot more."

AmazinGrace is a fun activity designed so participants encounter roadblocks and detours in an attempt to serve the community.

The "race" included a visit to Our Lady of Guadalupe Church where they made enchiladas. There was a trip to the St. Vincent de Paul Society's distribution centre where they sorted clothes and furniture. They dropped in on the Edmonton Food Bank. There was a brief discussion about vocations with Father Paul Moret at St. Joseph's Basilica.

The event concluded with an evening Mass at St. Dominic Savio Church celebrated by Archbishop Thomas Collins.

"The race is to have fun, but I know that many of the youth who went to the food bank and St. Vincent de Paul, will return to those agencies to help out," Papenbrock said.

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