Celebration of Youth Day in Lviv

On April 12, 2009, at the Cathedral Church of Saint George took place a prayer meeting of youth of the Lviv Archeparchy as part of the celebration of World Youth Day, which this year happened on local, eparchial levels. The slogan of this year’s Youth Day, noted by Pope Benedict XVI in his message for this occasion, is: «We place our hope in the living God.» The celebration in the Lviv Archeparchy was conducted in two stages. During the first, representatives of Christian youth organizations, priests and those responsible for work with youth in the deaneries and young representatives met with Archbishop of Lviv Ihor (Voznyak). It enabled the young Christians to communicate with their hierarch and be enriched with spiritual wisdom. In his word to the youth, the archbishop turned special attention to the figure of the young man of the Gospel who, though being near Jesus, was not able to leave the riches to which he was attached. «I thank you who gathered today here in church, in order also again to consider your own future and the need to reach the Heavenly Kingdom. Obviously, to you, to each person in particular, Christ also talks about the necessity of heaven and the necessity to leave possibly not yet acquired material goods, but acquired spiritual burdens, the sinful failures of life,» said Archbishop Ihor. In the second part of the celebration, a prayer evening took place for the youth, during which all interested young people prayed and reflected on their life, to become aware of their mission, the youth apostolate. Every participant of the meeting, as a sign of dedication in the ranks of the apostolate, obtained a small pectoral cross and the blessing of the hierarch.

Information was given by: Maryana Yartym,
Secretary of the Youth Commission of the Archeparchy of Lviv

Translated by the Information Department of the UGCC