The delegation of 56 Indian pilgrims who landed in Panama for the 34th World Youth Day come from across India: Agra, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu. They left the country on 15 January.
The young people are accompanied by nine priests and a nun as well as Msgr Mar Joseph Pandarasseril, auxiliary bishop of the eparchy of Kottayam, and Fr Deepak Thomas, executive secretary of the Youth Commission of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI).
The theme of this year’s WYD is “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word” (Lk 1:38).
Fr Thomas spoke to Asia News about the first days in Panama, ahead of Pope Francis’s arrival.
“We arrived on 15 January, staying in the parish of Atalaya, Diocese of Santiago (de Veraguas). Here we took part in numerous social and cultural activities.” “On 17 January we celebrated a Eucharist of the meeting, during which we showed the culture of our country,” Fr Thomas said.
