Young Catholics from across the Diocese of Legazpi in the Bicol Region of the Philippines will gather October 3 for the 43rd Diocesan Youth Marian Pilgrimage, which will invite them to deepen their faith and embrace their missionary calling.
The annual pilgrimage, organized by the Diocesan Commission on Youth, will carry the theme “Young Hearts Aflame Like Mary: Blessed, Nurtured, and Sent Forth.”
According to a diocesan circular issued August 19 and signed by Bishop Joel Z. Baylon of Legazpi, the theme encourages young people to reflect on Mary’s generous response to God’s grace and to become missionary disciples.
The pilgrimage will also form part of the Diocese of Legazpi’s 75th anniversary, while marking 250 years of devotion to Our Lady of Salvation, the patroness associated with the pilgrimage destination.
The journey will begin at 4 a.m. at St. Carlo Acutis Quasi-Parish in Barangay Naga, Tiwi, and cover several communities, including Sogod, Lourdes and Bariis, before reaching the Parish and Diocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Salvation in Barangay Joroan.
The diocese described the pilgrimage as an opportunity for young people to “renew their faith, deepen their love for Mary, and embrace more fully the mission of the Church.”
The program will include simultaneous confessions, vocation promotion, Poems for Iná (Poems for Mother) and Harana ki Iná (Serenade for Mother), followed by a Eucharistic celebration at 10 a.m.
Participants are being encouraged to undertake the pilgrimage as “Missionary Pilgrims,” giving thanks for the diocese’s history while seeking to bring their faith into their families, communities and wider society.
In preparation, the Diocesan Commission on Youth will conduct a Facilitators’ Seminar Workshop on September 2 at St. Gregory the Great Minor Seminary in Panal, Tabaco City. Each parish and Catholic school has been encouraged to send at least two representatives, preferably youth coordinators or youth leaders.
The pilgrimage reflects the wider role of Marian devotion in the Catholic Church in the Philippines, where religious celebrations dedicated to Mary remain an important part of popular faith and youth formation.
The diocesan circular called on young people to follow Mary’s example by being “blessed by God’s grace, nurtured by His love, and sent forth to share His presence with the world.”
For the Diocese of Legazpi, the pilgrimage is therefore not only an expression of Marian devotion but also an opportunity to form young Catholics as active participants in the Church’s missionary life.
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
Latest News
