BURKINA FASO SENDS 300 YOUTH TO WORLD DAY 5,000 Youngsters Gather at National Meeting OUAGADOUGOU, AUGUST 11 (ZENIT.org-FIDES).- "World Youth Day is important for the young Catholics of my country because of their love for the Pope and their confidence in him. He has always shown great concern and understanding for the problems of youth, our daily battles," Denis Ouedraogo said. Denis, who was talking to the international agency "Fides," is national president of the Young Catholics Association of Burkina Faso. His country will send 300 young people to Rome for the World Youth Day, from August 15-20. "Since the 1997 World Youth Day rally in Paris, we young Catholics in Burkina Faso decided to be more organized in order to live our faith better," Denis continued. The young leader said that by way of final preparation for WYD 2000, 5,000 youth gathered in Ouagadougou from August 3-5, to prepare together for the celebration of the Youth Jubilee. "They stayed with local families, took part in special catechesis seminars given by several bishops in various parishes; they prayed and listened to music. The event closed on August 6 with a solemn celebration of the Mass." "There was a great spirit of participation," Denis added. Although only 300 youth from Burkina Faso will be in Rome with the Pope, "all of us will be close to his heart," Denis concluded. Burkina Faso has a population of close to 11 million, of which just over one million are Catholics.  Back

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