Preparations for World Youth Day 2011 in Madrid have begun. The provincial of Spain, Fr. Fernando DE LA PAZ, with his council, has decided to begin an Oblate program to prepare for WYD, in order to continue a beautiful tradition begun 10 years ago. The Province of Spain will welcome youth coming from all over the world to participate in this program.

Fr. Ismael GARCÍA is heading a commission made up of Oblates, Oblate sisters and lay youth. The details of the program will be prepared by the European Commission on Youth Ministry that will bring together Oblates and lay representatives from each Unit in Europe. This meeting will take place on November 13-18 of this year. After this meeting, we will be able to give more information about the program. For now, we can announce that the Oblate program of preparation for WYD will take place at Pozuelo (Madrid) on August 11-14, 2011. The World Youth Days with the pope will be in Madrid on August 16-21. Thanks to the Province of Australia, we will use the website of Oblate youth: www.omiyouth.org. (Ismael García)