Some of the Fermanagh young people who attended World Youth Day in Madrid in 2011, from left: Thomas McCaffrey, Eadaoin Sharkey, Elizabeth O’Hara, Sinead Rice and Lee Cullen
FORTY-FOUR Fermanagh young people are heading to World Youth Day in Rio De Janeiro this summer, and fund-raising has already begun.
Clogher Don Oige, a youth group founded in 2003, has organised a number of pilgrimages over the past decade, and this year it will bring a total of 60 young people to Rio, at the World Youth Day event which takes place every two to three years.
And this year, it is expected up to four million young people could attend.
Fr Martin O’ Reilly, Curate in Enniskillen who is chairperson of Clogher Don Oige, noted that it will be a time of ‘celebrating faith’ and ‘awaking awareness’.
“The first week will be spent in a parish in Sao Paulo,” he said.
“The second week is spent in Rio de Janeiro for the World Youth Day proper, and this takes on a whole new experience, as this is where the young people come together celebrating their faith and youthfulness.”
For the young people, fund-raising is a large part of the preparation for the pilgrimages.
Fr Martin explained: “The fund-raising takes many shapes and forms, from bag-packing, table quizzes, flag days and the young men getting their legs waxed!
“There is one big fundraiser being organised for Easter Week – one that will welcome Ireland to Enniskillen.”
That particular event is a, ‘flower festival’.
“There are over 17 flower arrangers committed to transforming St Michael’s (Church) into a heaven of flowers.
It will run from Thursday April 4 until Sunday April 7. The theme for the Flower Festival is: ‘Growing Towards The Light’.”
In the summer, from the July 6 to July 11, some 112 young people will go on the annual Lourdes pilgrimage with the Clogher Diocese, and in early August 60 young people will visit Taize in France.
Of the 60 going to Brazil, 44 are from Fermanagh, and of the 112 going to Lourdes, 70 are from Fermanagh.
The trip to Taize will be launched later this month.
For further information on Clogher don Oige, go to www.clogherdonoige.com and on Facebook. You can also search ‘Clogher Don Oige’ on YouTube for videos of various events over the past few years.
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