U.S. Pilgrim Fiat Festival at World Youth Day to Be Livestreamed

Courtesy of FOCUS. All rights reserved. Used with permission.[/caption] FOCUS, Knights of Columbus and USCCB partner on Jan. 23 event featuring Cardinal O’Malley, Bps. Barron, Caggiano and Cepeda, Sr. Bethany Madonna S.V., Curtis Martin and others The Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS), Knights of Columbus and United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) are collaborating to host “Fiat,” a two-part festival event during the international World Youth Day (WYD) in Panama City, Panama, Jan. 23. Special guests include Cardinal Seán Patrick O’Malley O.F.M. Cap., Bishop José Arturo Cepeda, Bishop Edward Burns, Bishop Robert Barron, Bishop Frank Caggiano, Sr. Bethany Madonna S.V., Curtis Martin, Steve Angrisano, Iván Díaz, Sarah Kroger, the FOCUS Collective and Catholic young adults from across the U.S. who will share their faith stories. The name “Fiat” comes from this year’s WYD theme, Luke 1:38: “I am the servant of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Doors open at 1 p.m. ET for the free event at the Figali Convention Center in Panama City. Although coordinated with English-speaking pilgrims in mind, there will be bilingual aspects. The event is open to all WYD attendees. It is recommended for pilgrims to arrive early as space is limited. The inspirational talks will be livestreamed at Facebook.com/FocusCatholic at 3-5 p.m. and 7-10 p.m. ET (with a 5-7 p.m. break). The schedule includes the following lineup of speakers:

2-5 p.m. ET: Welcome followed by panel and testimonies from Bishop Burns, Bishop Caggiano, Drew and Kim Rose Dillingham and Sarah Halweg, with music from PJ Anderson
7-10 p.m. ET: Adoration with Praise and Worship music from Steve Angrisano and Iván Díaz, along with talks from Curtis Martin, Bishop Cepeda, Sr. Bethany Madonna, Bishop Barron and Cardinal O’Malley

More than 30 college students from the U.S. will go on a FOCUS mission trip before WYD in remote Panama to bring the spirit of WYD to all corners of the country through fellowship and catechesis. The students will then go to Panama City to participate in WYD and help with the Fiat Festival. In total, more than 12,000 pilgrims from the United States accompanied by 32 U.S. bishops will be present at the international WYD events in Panama. Many groups are planning to attend the Fiat Festival. “We welcome all WYD pilgrims to both parts of this event to celebrate our common mission to strengthen our faith and the Church,” said Jeff Runyan, FOCUS’ senior director of International Relations. “FOCUS’ mission is to pursue greater intimacy with Christ and to share the Gospel with the world through friendship and community — which is the heart of this event.”

Copyright Leslie Prevish for the Fellowship of Catholic University Students About FOCUS: The Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS) was founded in 1998 and invites college students into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ and His Church, inspiring and equipping them for a lifetime of Christ-centered evangelization, discipleship and friendships in which they lead others to do the same. FOCUS missionaries are typically recent college graduates who devote two or more years of their post-collegiate lives to reach out to peers on campus. Learn more at Focus.org