Laura Matthews, Gleaner Writer
Marvin Powell and Saketta Greenlee - CONTRIBUTED
GUTEN TAG is what Germans will say when Germany opens its arms to Jamaicans Marvin Powell and Saketta Greenlee, two youths of Catholic faith, who have been chosen to attend World Youth Day between August 16 to 21, 2005 in that country.
The event will take place in Cologne, Germany's fourth largest city in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, and the two will be among 800,000 youths from over 190 countries including Jamaica.
STARTED BY POPE JOHN PAUL II
World Youth Day was started in 1986 by Pope John Paul II, and is held every two or three years in different parts of the world. It is a pilgrimage of Christian young people.
It calls for all youths to participate in one week of prayer and other religious festivities, and to see the church as a community that goes beyond national boundaries.
"We chose them to go because we felt that they would represent not only the faith community of Our Lady of the Angels, but also the Arch Diocese very well," said Brother Thomas Haerle.
The two young pilgrims - Marvin, 21 and Saketta, 17 -- are very active in the Our Lady of the Angels Catholic church on Molynes Road in St. Andrew. Marvin has been serving the altar for many years, while Saketta is the president of the Church's Youth Group.
This year's event will be the 20th celebration, and will be conducted by Pope Benedict XVI, who will be making his first visit to Germany since his ascendancy to the papal seat.
