The 55th Youth Day of the Archdiocese of Sarajevo begins this afternoon, organised by the John Paul II Archdiocesan Centre for Youth Ministry and the Parish of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Komušina, on the island of Kondžil, where young people are expected to gather. The theme is “Take heart, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). The programme, which begins at 6 pm with a Eucharistic celebration and ends on Saturday, has a strong spiritual focus. “Dear young people, the Church needs you, your faith, your youth, your generosity and your willingness to bear courageous witness to the Gospel among your peers, in your families and in society”, Archbishop Tomo Vuksic wrote in a letter welcoming young people and inviting them to participate “with open hearts, ready to meet God and one another”. Mgr Vuksic hopes that “this gathering will be a new experience of the Church as a community that welcomes, listens, understands and walks together on the path of faith”. In recent days, always under the coordination of the Archdiocesan Centre for Youth Ministry, 52 young people from four different parts of Bosnia (Usora, Travnik, Kiseljak and Sarajevo) met for the second stage of the “Ambassadors of Peace” programme. The programme included workshops, discussions, time for socialising, as well as visits to several religious buildings in Sarajevo: “The emphasis was placed on mutual respect, dialogue and unity. Another step towards a culture of peace, understanding and a shared future”, the organisers commented.