National Youth Delegates (NYD) 2019 at the Cebu City Sports Complex. | Tonee Despojo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The National Youth Day (NYD) delegates are expected to experience a unique religious activity in the nine festival sites in Metro Cebu.
According to Fr. Joselito Batitoy, NYD Festival Sites over-all chairman, the festival sites have prepared “grand activities” for the delegates with the “vibrance and energy” of the youth rooted in the faith.
Batitoy said the young delegates are “very interested” in doing a Via Crucis or Way of the Cross.
But since the Catholic Church has already entered the Easter season, the activity would seem inappropriate.
Instead, the NYD organizers prepared a unique activity that would be similar to the Via Crucis in tradition but would feature the life and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
“We call it Via Lucis, the Way of the Light because Jesus is the truth, the way, and the light,” said Batitoy.
Festival venues include IEC Pavilion and University of San Jose Basak Campus in Cebu City, Hoops Dome in Lapu-Lapu City, Mandaue City Sports Complex in Mandaue City, and the Consolacion Municipal Convention Hall in Consolacion town.
The rest of the festival sites are Liloan Municipal Gym in Liloan town, Sisters of Mary Girlstown in Talisay City, Sisters of Mary Boystown in Minglanilla town, and Enan Chiong Activity Center in Naga City.
Batitoy said that bishops from all over the Philippines would be officiating the masses in each of the festival sites.
At least 17 bishops have already arrived in the Cebu on Tuesday, April 23.
Meanwhile, Fr. Mark Rommel Barneso, the NYD steering team leader, discouraged the delegates to roam around Cebu at night.
He said they should follow the schedule of the NYD activities instead.
Barneso said the delegates may go around the area if they are joined by their foster families or with the guardian-priest.
He said the delegates should focus on the NYD activities and spend the night to rest properly. / celr