Studia Koszalińsko-Kołobrzeskie (Jan 2023)
Dni Młodych w (archi)diecezji szczecińsko-kamieńskiej w latach 1990–2022
Abstract
The diocesan celebration of the World Youth Day has been celebrated in the Szczecin-Kamien (Kamień) Church since 1990. Over the course of over thirty years, the form of this meeting has changed, but the essential elements of the program are constantly accompanying the celebration of the young archdiocese of Szczecin-Kamien (Kamień). The aim of this article is to present the history of the Youth Days, which initially gathered young people in the capital of the diocese, in Szczecin, and since 2003 have been held in various places throughout the archdiocese. For this purpose, a query was carried out in the Archives of the Pastoral Department of the Metropolitan Curia and press reports published in the diocesan magazine Church on the Oder and the Baltic Sea were used. The undertaken research was aimed at describing the phenomenon of the Archdiocesan Youth Days not only from the historical point of view, but also from the theological and pastoral point of view. Every year, the festival of young people gathers hundreds of people who take part in a rich religious, spiritual, cultural, artistic and recreational program. This program is evangelistic oriented, but the content that is offered to young people is presented in an accessible and understandable form for them. The basic assumption that accompanies the development of the program of the next editions of the Youth Days is to create a space where young people will experience a personal meeting with God, deepen their faith, experience the beauty of the Church community, meet peers with whom they will spend time together in various ways they had the opportunity to share their faith and seek answers to the most important existential questions. The Archdiocesan Youth Days are a testimony to the involvement of the Szczecin-Kamien (Kamień) Church in the work of accompanying young people on the path of faith and a sign that the Church wants to listen to their voice and appreciate the contribution they make to the life of the local community.
Keywords
