(ANS - Rome) - A few months after the conclusion of the celebrations for the bicentenary of the birth of Don Bosco, the Salesian Youth Movement is getting ready for Krakow where the 31st World Youth Day will take place next summer. In recent weeks, three important steps forward have been taken in this direction.

By Renato Cursi

From 20 to 22 November in Barcelona, ​​at the Salesian house of Marti Codolar, the European SYM met for its annual General Assembly. Fr Wojtech Krawczyk, Salesian Delegate for youth ministry in Krakow, spoke to the participants about the ongoing preparations for the next World Youth Day which will take place in the ancient capital of Poland from 26 to 31 July 2016. The European SYM has elected a new "Small Team" that includes Blažka from Slovenia, Carina from Austria and Anne-Florence from France. They are ready now to start preparing for July and they hope that many will join them from the SYM in other continents.

From 25 to 29 November the cities of Wadowice (birthplace of St. John Paul II) and Krakow hosted the preparatory meeting for World Youth Day. It was organized by the Central Committee and the Youth Section of the Pontifical Council for the Laity. Among the dozens of international delegates present were representatives of the SDB Department for Youth Ministry and the FMA Sector for Youth Ministry. This was a valuable opportunity to review the status of the preparatory work, to appreciate the impressive mobilization of volunteers and to visit the places that will host the common celebrations of this important youth gathering. "Blessed are the merciful" is the beatitude that providentially will guide the path of the young pilgrims to this World Youth Day, taking place during the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy. It is also the title of the official hymn of World Youth Day 2016, which can be heard already on the official YouTube channels.

The SYM site for WYD in Krakow 2016 is krakow2016sym.pl/. It was launched on 1 December and is already available in four languages: Polish, English, Italian and Spanish.

The site contains the contacts for enrolment through the Salesian channels which are already accredited by the Central Committee of the WYD. A special registration form will soon be available for all groups that want to take part in the World SYM Day to be held at the EXPO fair in Krakow on Wednesday 27 July 2016. The same site will soon contain additional information to enhance Salesian participation in this important event of the universal Church.

Published 9/12/2015