Families from Vicariate share “the Joy of Love” at WMOF, Ireland

September 9, 2018

09 September 2018 (Abu Dhabi).

The highlight for the AVOSA Family Ministry in the month of August was the attendance of the first ever AVOSA delegation to the World Meeting of Families, which took place this year in Ireland.

Since its inception by Pope John Paul II in 1994 (the Year of the Family), the Vatican has been responsible for organizing the World Meetings of Families (WMOF) in Rome (1994), Rio de Janeiro (1997), Rome (2000), Manila (2003), Valencia (2006), Mexico City (2009), Milan (2012) and Philadelphia (2015). Held every three years, the 9^th WMOF was held in Dublin, Ireland from 21-26 August, 2018 .

The aim of Pope John Paul II in starting the WMOF was to establish an international event of prayer, catechesis and celebration that would draw participating families from around the globe to help strengthen the bonds between families and bear witness to the crucial importance of marriage and the family to all of society.

The overarching theme for WMOF2018 was “ The Gospel of the Family: Joy for the World” and was chosen by Pope Francis from the opening words of his encyclical "The Joy of Love" (Amoris Laetitia). The events of each day of the Congress were guided by a key theme from " The Joy of Love".

The Opening of the WMOF 2108 (21 ^st August 2018) was held simultaneously all over Ireland with all the dioceses holding their own local opening ceremonies. The WMOF three day Congress (22-24 August 2018) included keynote speakers, workshops and discussions, exhibitions, art and cultural activities, daily celebration of the Eucharist, liturgical and prayerful activities, all reflecting on the main theme, “The Gospel of the Family: Joy for the World”. The individual themes of the three days, chosen from the papal encyclical, "The Joy of Love" were as follows:

22^nd August: The Family and Faith from Chapters 1 to 3
23^rd August: The Family and Love from Chapters 4 to 6
24^th August: The Family and Hope from Chapters 7 to 9

The Festival of Families (25^th August 2018) was held at Croke Park. It was a festive occasion, where pilgrims and participants gathered to celebrate the gift of family from the perspective of the specific theme of the World Meeting. This was a cultural celebration of music, dance, song, within a prayerful and joyful setting, and with the aid of testimonies given by families from different parts of the world.
The Women’s Leadership Symposium (25^th August 2018) was a symposium dedicated to the global impact of women's leadership and was held for the first time in conjunction with the World Meeting of Families. It consisted of a series of dynamic conversations and interviews with women leaders from various parts of the world.
The Solemn Eucharistic Celebration by Pope Francis at Phoenix Park (26^th August 2018) concluded the World Meeting of Families 2018 in thanksgiving to God for the gift of family and for its sanctification.

Another highlight was the visit to the Knock Shrine on 21 ^st August, the 139 ^th anniversary of the apparition of Our Lady at Knock, whereby AVOSA pilgrims joined pilgrims from around Ireland and the world to participate in the solemn Eucharistic celebration at the Basilica at Knock.

Pope Francis made a visit to this shrine later on the 26 ^th August in the morning prior to the concluding Papal Mass. Click here to access the programme that was held at the Knock Shrine.

With a 107 strong delegation of participants from the various parishes of the UAE, the trip was a joyful, spirit-filled experience to take back and implement the invaluable insights and lessons gleaned during the trip back in our homes and church communities.