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NMI delegate looks forward to World Youth Day
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Posted on Jul 11 2008
Thousands will be attending the World Youth Day on July 15 and Querlaine Blas is happy and excited to be one of the 42 local students who will go to Sydney, Australia, for the five-day event.
She will be leaving tomorrow morning at 3am, accompanied by Marie T. Muna, assistant coordinator for the CNMI delegation.
Blas is currently attending Kagman High School and has been a Roman Catholic since she was 4 years old. The World Youth Day is being organized by the Catholic Church.
“I am extremely excited but nervous at the same time. I don’t have any idea of what to expect but I do think that this is a great opportunity and I hope all of us that are participating have a great experience,” said the 17-year-old.
“I also feel very fortunate and thankful to so many people, especially to my sponsors,” she added.
The CNMI delegation has been preparing for the event since the beginning of 2007. They have been doing fundraisers and receiving support from sponsors. “It has been a community effort, we have received many donations,” said Muna.
Muna said this is not the first World Youth Day that the CNMI delegates are participating in. They have also sent delegates to the World Youth Day in the Philippines, Canada, and Germany.
In Australia, local families will provide the youths with shelter, and they will get to live with their foster families. The CNMI delegation will be attending the Our Lady Mount Carmel Bonny Rigg and Mount Pritchrid churches.
The CNMI delegates will participate in prayers, Bible reading, confessions, Stations of the Cross, Eucharistic celebrations, and a host of other programs.
Fr. Man Soo Kye of the Korean Catholic Church of Saipan, Fr. Delfin Tumaca, and Rey D. Rosal of San Vicente Church are some of the participants that will attend the occasion.
