Catholics carry the World Youth Day cross as they prepare to celebrate Mass at Sugarloaf Mountain in Rio de Janeiro July 17. More than 320,000 registered pilgrims have begun arriving in Rio to take part in the main World Youth Day program with Pope Francis July 23-28. (CNS photo/Ricardo Moraes, Reuters)
By Seth Gonzales
Texas Catholic
Sixty-five young adults from the Diocese of Dallas will be making their way to Rio de Janeiro this summer for World Youth Day, set for July 23-28. Some left early for a brief visit to Pope Francis’ home country.
More than 15 pilgrims from St. Bernard of Clairvaux Catholic Church have been traveling through Argentina on their way to Brazil. The diocesan Youth and Young Adult Office expects to send about 20 more people to the festivities under the leadership of Jason Deuterman, director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry at Holy Family of Nazareth Catholic Church in Irving.
“All of them are very excited about going,” said Kevin Dougherty, associate director for Youth and Young Adult Ministry at the diocese of Dallas. “It’s a tremendous opportunity. I’ve been to three World Youth Days, and you grow so much from these experiences. Every one of them is life-changing.”
Yong Oh, founder and director of The Shepherd’s Café, is set to lead as many as 30 participants to World Youth Day, by way of Peru. Father Jason Cargo, pastor of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Corsicana is expected to travel with the group and said, time permitting, he will document their travels on his Facebook page, which can be found at www.facebook.com/FrJasonCargo.
Deuterman said he will do the same from his Twitter account, @jasondeuterman.
