Hundreds of teens in the Archdiocese of New York will attend the second annual Bronx Catholic Youth Day this Saturday, April 18, at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel School, located at the corner of Bathgate Avenue and East 188th Street.
The sponsors are Catholic parishes of the West Bronx Deanery, which say in unison: “Join us for a youth rally for all of the young people (Grades 8-12) of the Bronx!” The all-day rally/retreat will start at 9 a.m. and is set to end at 6 p.m. Doors open at 8:30 a.m.
Event presentations by clergy and laity will include “The Long Walk to Emmaus” and “Hearts on Fire” (both from Luke 24: 13-35). There will also be a worship music group, confessions, breakout sessions, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, faith sharing, and testimonials.
Auxiliary Bishop Joseph A. Espaillat will be among the presenters. Organizers said that as of April 14, the event is sold out.
Discover the community of faith
“This event is a chance to expand one’s perspective as a young Catholic in New York. In a city as big as New York, especially in the Bronx, there is a tendency to isolate one’s own worldview to their particular neighborhood or parish,” Father Carlos Germosen, parochial vicar, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church, East 187th Street, told The Good Newsroom via email. “So, the gathering gives young people a chance to widen their gaze and discover the community of faith that is around them, ready to support them.”
Father Germosen added, “My hope is that the young people who attend have a profound encounter with Jesus as their Savior, and that this encounter propels them to ‘go and make disciples,’ as Jesus sends his disciples out at the end of Matthew’s Gospel. We want to set the world on fire with the love of God, and my prayer is that these young people act as those ‘fire starters,’ through their personal witness to the Gospel Message.”
Fan the flame of faith
“This year, we have an increase in participation from last year’s gathering. Last year, we had around 450 young people from 14 different parishes attend. This year, we have around 550 young people from 21 different parishes attending,” Father Germosen noted. “From last year’s successful gathering, the priests of the West Bronx decided to have another gathering this year to continue to fan the flame of faith.”