Ninety-one young people and adult leaders from throughout the Springfield diocese will attend World Youth Days Aug. 16-21 in Madrid, Spain. Bishop Thomas John Paprocki will join the diocesan youth and leaders at WYD on Friday, Aug. 19, to celebrate Mass for them. Father Daren Zehnle will serve as master of ceremonies for the bishop.

On Aug. 21, WYD closing day, Bishop Paprocki will join thousands of bishops and priests from around the world to concelebrate the final Mass with Pope Benedict XVI.

Seminarian Steve Arisman from Springfield will lead a group organized by Kyle Holtgrave, director of youth ministries in the diocesan Office of Catechetical Ministries. Father Christopher Brey, diocesan coordinator of Hispanic ministry and pastor of three Cass County parishes, is leading a group. Father Nnamdi Obinna Moneme, OMV, from St. Mary, Alton, is leading a group. Father Brian Alford, parochial vicar at Annunciation Parish, Shumway, and at St. Anthony and Sacred Heart parishes, Effingham, is leading a group, and Julia Meehling from St. Mary, Marshall, is leading a group, and there is a group going from Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish, Bethalto.

Bishop Paprocki said this will be his second World Youth Days to attend. “I attended the 2002 World Youth Day in Toronto, when I was pastor of St. Constance Parish, on the northwest side of Chicago (near O’Hare Airport),” he said. The group of 15 youths and five adults drove private vehicles from Chicago to Toronto.

“Most of the people in our group were Polish-American (some of them were even born in Poland), so it was especially inspiring to be with the Polish Pope, Blessed John Paul,” Bishop Paprocki said.