WYD and the New Evangelization

(Vatican Radio) What does the New Evangelization and World Youth Day have in common? According to Fr Eugene Silva, English language official at the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization, “the World Youth Days are wonderful opportunities for New Evangelization”. “New Evangelization again is the way we help people encounter Jesus Christ…”

As thousands of youth, passionate about their faith, descend on the host city of Rio de Janeiro, Lydia O’Kane asked Fr Eugene, what about a young person who is searching for a faith direction in life or who is lukewarm in the faith, is WYD for them?

“We never know”, he explains “the motivations which bring our young people to World Youth Day and we have to just trust that when we bring young people together, especially in the presence of Pope Francis, that the youth are going to speak to youth and they are going to inspire one another with their witness...”

From his own experience of leading pilgrimages to World Youth Days in Paris and Toronto, Fr Eugene says some of the young people who decided to attend were “lukewarm in the faith” but whatever the motivation for being there was, he adds "their hearts were touched and their faith was deepened…” Listen to Lydia O’Kane’s full interview with Fr Eugene Silvia