The Magdala Center brings the Holy Land to Mexico with Youthfest Magdala 2024, which takes place from July 25 to 28 in Puebla, a city marked by the Franciscan presence that also characterizes the holy places.
In a note sent to ACI Prensa, the Magdala Center explains that the meeting is an annual event that is held in “preparation for the commemoration of the anniversary of the passion, death and resurrection of Christ in 2033. Due to the current conflict in the Middle East, “Magdala has decided to bring an experience of the Holy Land to Mexico.”
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The Apostolic Nuncio in Mexico, Mons. Joseph Spiteri, presided over the initial Mass of the meeting on July 25, accompanied by the Archbishop of Puebla, Mons. Víctor Sánchez Espinosa, and his Auxiliary Bishop, Mons. Francisco Javier Martínez.
“Jesus continues to patiently explain to us the values of the Kingdom, the values of service in charity,” said Monsignor Spitieri in his homily, in which he hoped that the Apostle James, whose day is July 25, “intercedes for all of you.” so that they may always be pilgrims of peace, missionary disciples of the risen Lord in the midst of a world torn by violence, discrimination and hatred.”
At the conclusion of the Mass and after highlighting the importance of the Holy Land, the Nuncio invited “the young people and everyone to make that effort. At this moment we are called to pray, to strongly ask for peace, the gift of peace, in a particular way for the Holy Land and all the peoples who live there.”
The international event, in which about 1,000 people participate, was inaugurated by Father Juan Solana, director and founder of the Magdala Center, who encouraged young people to “make a mess,” as Pope Francis said on World Youth Day. Youth (WYD) in Rio de Janeiro in 2013.
“We want to make the mess of faith, the mess of joy, the mess of sharing, the mess of walking together following the footprints of the Lord,” the priest highlighted.
Magazine presentation Holy Land
On Friday, July 26, at the conclusion of the Mass on the second day of the meeting, Fray José Alcaraz, commissioner of the Holy Land and president of the commissioners in Mexico and Central America, announced the launch of the magazine of the Holy Land in Mexico.
A note from Magdala points out that the magazine “which has been published for almost 200 years, has arrived in the country for the first time since last May 13, coinciding with the 500th anniversary of the arrival of the Franciscans to the region.”
“This magazine talks about all the excavations, the works in the Holy Land and contains articles relevant to our area of Mexico,” explained the commissioner, whose mission is to be “bridges between the Holy Land and Christians around the world,” according to indicates the Franciscan Custody website.
“We must ensure that our Christians remain in the Holy Land. Let us pray for them and also go on pilgrimage to the land of the Lord,” he encouraged. The value of the subscription to receive six copies of the magazine per year is 720 pesos, about 39 dollars; and can be requested by contacting the commissioners on this website https://comisariatierrasanta.org.mx/contactanos/
The Youthfest Magdala 2024 Meeting continues “with various activities designed to strengthen the faith, fraternity and social commitment of the young participants, promoting a culture of peace and hope.”
Walter Sanchez Silva
I have been a husband since 2008. My wife and I have three children here and one who went to heaven in 2023, before he was born. Since I joined ACI Prensa in 2005, I have had the opportunity to cover various events of the Catholic Church. Among them, the World Youth Days in Cologne, Madrid and Rio de Janeiro and the apostolic trips of Pope Benedict XVI to Mexico and of Pope Francis to South Korea. I have been sent to the Vatican to cover the Family synods, in 2015; of the Amazon, in 2019 and that of Synodality, in 2023. I closely follow the situation of the Catholic Church in Nicaragua, which suffers persecution from the dictatorship of Daniel Ortega, as well as current ecclesiastical events in the region.