Father Ronald Richard, Archdiocese of Madras and Mylapore, South India, witnessed the 17th World Youth Day and stated that the event enriched his priestly mission.
"We had a chance to share our cultures, faiths, and experiences with youth from Brazil, Lithuania, Bangladesh, and India, and it enriches my mission in my priesthood," Father Richard said to RVA.
The priest stated that he had such cultural experiences because a Portuguese priest hosted him and his group.
Father Richard said of Father Nuno, the Portuguese priest of Constantia who hosted them in his parish, that he "showed his love and hospitality for seven days, which encouraged all the young people who were there with us."
According to him, "Meeting with more than millions of youths from 151 countries created an inspiration for the young spirit on World Youth Day 2023."
In Lisbon, Portugal, 24 youth members from Tamil Nadu, South India, participated in this 17th World Youth Day, including nine priests and three animators.
According to him, Pope Francis' message motivated all the young people to be like St. Peter, who went fishing to the deepest place with Jesus, not to catch fish but to spread the message of Christ all over the world. He included everyone and did not want to lose anyone."
Finally, he said, "I realized how young people can come together and change the world."
More than 800 bishops, 10,000 priests, and hundreds of thousands of youths attended the World Youth Day final mass.
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
Latest News
