Botswana, Eswatini, South Africa Approve “Mini World Youth Day” for December 2020

The gathering, which will see young people from the three countries of SACBC engage in a variety of activities is “an expression of the universal Church,” the leaders behind MWYD have stated.

The envisaged encounters among the youth and the input from those who will facilitate activities around MWYD gives the event the goal of being “an instrument of evangelization in the world of youth.”

The very large numbers of the young people that will characterize MWYD and the dynamic energies of the participants is being looked as a manifestation of a progressive church,” a goal the conveners are terming “an epiphany of a youthful church.”

With the goal of being “an effective sign of ecclesial communion,” the organizers are envisaging the gathering of young people from a variety of “cultures and races.”

Finally, the event has the goal of being a “a faith pilgrimage” justified by spiritual activities during the nine days including the sharing of experiences in parishes and families.

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It is envisaged that before gathering in South Africa’s Archdiocese of Pretoria, participants in MWYD will spend “Days in Parishes” (DIP) from December 5-9, hosted in families, parish houses, convents, monasteries and religious houses.

Archdiocese of Johannesburg, Diocese of Witbank, and Diocese of Bethlehem, all in South Africa have agreed to host MWYD participants during the DIP.

Thanking the various dioceses “for their willingness to host the Pilgrimage and its preliminary activities,” Bishop Dziuba and Fr. Dlamini have invited “all Youth and Young Adults of our Conference area and beyond, together with the Bishops, Clergy, Religious, Mentors and Coordinators to join this Pilgrimage.”

“We would like to encourage all communities to send young people in numbers to this Pilgrimage,” the Church leaders have said in their one-page collective statement.

The previous MWYD, which brought together over 1000 youths was held in South Africa’s Archdiocese of Durban in  December 2017  under the theme “The Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is His Name,” derived from the Blessed Virgin Mary’s Magnificat in Luke 1:49. Among the participants were youth from the three countries of SACBC as well as youth from Mozambique and Zimbabwe.