The
World Youth Day experience for participants at MAGiS 2011 in Madrid will
involve three events, and take them on a journey to a number of significant
sites in Spain.
The
experiences planned for MAGiS 2011 will involve three stages: the Ignatian
gathering at Loyola; experiments throughout Spain and Portugal; and of course
the World Youth Day celebrations in Madrid.
Loyola
The first stage will take
place at the Shrine of Loyola from 5 to 8 August 2011. This gathering will
bring together all of the pilgrims taking part in MAGiS 2011.
The pilgrims will be given
the opportunity to learn about the life of St Ignatius. His story will set the
stage for the spiritual journey that will guide young people during their
pilgrimage.
The gathering will conclude with a Mass, presided over by Jesuit Father General
Adolfo Nicolás. From there, pilgrims will travel to the various places where
they will undertake their experiments.
Experiments
The experiments will take
place in different cities across Spain and Portugal from 9 to 15 August. Each
will involve 25 young people, joined into three language sub-groups.
The experiments aim to
help participants discover Christ, with the help of St Ignatius, in places and
people they would never have expected. They aim to give them a sense of their
place in the world, and help them find their purpose within God's greater plan.
The stage will end with
the journey of all the MAGiS participants to World Youth Day in Madrid.
Madrid
In Madrid, the young
people will join with the thousands of other pilgrims from around the world at
the World Youth Day celebrations from 16 to 21 August.
They will participate in
various activities offered by the Madrid Diocese. Places throughout Madrid will
be prepared to provide young people with time to pray or make the examen without disrupting the normal
course of the World Youth Day activities.
The events in Madrid, and
the MAGiS 2011 experience, will conclude on Sunday 21 August with the Final
Mass, presided over by the Holy Father.
Participants
MAGiS 2011 is aimed at
young adults. Participants generally range in age from 18 to 35.
The total number of
participants at MAGiS 2011 - including pilgrims, animators and team leaders -
will be around 3,000. This number will include around 2,600 young people and
400 staff.
For
more details, go to http://www.magis2011.org/ppal/index.asp?lg=2&op=1&id