Lest we forget about the great World Youth Day and Vincentian events of 2016, here’s a video of the indigenous youth for Panama went to the Vincentian gathering and WYD in Poland.

This past week, the youth from Panama spoke with the Panamanian Bishop’s Conference’s Assembly where they emphasized the importance of the participation of indigenous youth in WYD 2019 in Panama.

The bishop’s approved the organizing of the first ever World Indigenous Youth Gathering as a pre-event to WYD 2019, in the style of our Vincentian Youth Days.

We can’t wait! This fits right in with the recently released plans for the upcoming World Synod for Youth October 2017:

In pastoral activity, young people are not objects but agents. Oftentimes, society sees them as non-essential or inconvenient. The Church cannot reflect such an attitude, because all young people, without exception, have the right to be guided in life’s journey.

Consequently, each community is called to be attentive to young people, especially those who are experiencing poverty, marginalization or exclusion and lead them to become involved in life. Being close to young people, who are living amidst great poverty and hardship, violence, war, disease, disability and suffering, is a special gift of the Spirit, which can truly manifest a proper manner of acting by a Church which is “going out”. The Church herself is called to learn from young people. Many saints among youth give shining testimony to this fact and continue to be an inspiration for everyone.