wfn.org | European Lutheran youth in pilgrimage to welcome millennium

[FRANK.IMHOFF@ecunet.org]

VADSTENA, Sweden/GENEVA, 22 September 2000 (LWI) - "Stand up and
Walk", was the theme of the first ever European Lutheran Youth
Pilgrimage that took place in Vadstena, northeastern Sweden.

Initiated and hosted by the Church of Sweden diocese of Linkoeping
and its bishop, Rev. Martin Lind, in coordination with the Lutheran
World Federation (LWF) Youth in Church and Society (YICAS) desk, the
event brought together around 500 young people from 17 Central,
Western and Eastern European countries.

The three-day pilgrimage through Vadstena between August 4-9 was a
symbolic way to welcome the millennium and celebrate the 2000th
anniversary of Christ's birth, and to seek peace, unity and
reconciliation through prayer, worship, dialogue.

Walking for five hours daily in small groups of ten, the young men
and women covered about 15 to 22 kilometers. Each day began and
closed with a reflection together on the seven values of
pilgrimage-silence, slowness, spirituality, freedom, sharing and "do
not worry"- taught by Fr. Hans-Erik Lindstroem, pastor at the
Pilgrims' Center in Vadstena. The town has a rich heritage of
pilgrimage going back to the Middle Ages.

The walkers carried pebbles from their respective home countries,
symbolic of both the burdens and joys shared along the way. They
stopped on the hour for an "every full-hour" prayer. A closing multi
cultural worship service took place at the town's Abbey Church.

The last two days in Vadstena were spent in seminars that focussed on
mission, spirituality, socio-political and economic issues, the
ecumenical movement and youth networking.

According to Rev. Teresita C. Valeriano, YICAS secretary, "the whole
experience was designed to highlight and reflect on the rich
diversity from which all were coming, the unity and stewardship of
the whole creation, the new challenges and hope in our faith journey
in church and society, and the greater awareness and embodiment of
the vision of a communion of churches."

The pilgrimage was one of the regional events of the YICAS program
"Vision Beyond 2000" which started early this year. It will culminate
next summer in a pilgrimage to Jerusalem in which 50 youth from all
over the world will participate.

(The LWF is a global communion of 131 member churches in 72 countries
representing over 59 million of the world's 63 million Lutherans. Its
highest decision making body is the Assembly, held every six or seven
years. Between Assemblies, the LWF is governed by a 49-member Council
which meets annually, and its Executive Committee. The LWF
secretariat is located in Geneva, Switzerland.)

[Lutheran World Information (LWI) is the information service of the
Lutheran World Federation (LWF). Unless specifically noted, material
presented does not represent positions or opinions of the LWF or of
its various units. Where the dateline of an article contains the
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acknowledgment.]

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Lutheran World Information
Assistant Editor, English: Pauline Mumia
E-mail: pmu@lutheranworld.org
http://www.lutheranworld.org/