Those who hope in the Lord will run and not be weary (cf. Is 40:31)

The Basics

DATE AND TIME

16 November 2024
9:30am––5pm

LOCATION

10025 Boul. de l’Acadie,
Montréal, QC H4N 2S1

COST

$40/pers

Includes a hot meal, many snacks, and session materials

The Teen Festival is a lively and joyful experience that invites teens, ages 13-17, to discover or renew their relationship with Christ as well as build relationships with other young people in a safe and holy environment designed for them.

Participants can expect a one-day event (9:30am to 5pm) with engaging talks, real testimonies, workshops, dynamic activities, and fun competitions.

Schedule

TBC

9:30am
Welcoming of participants
Expo opens

10:00am
Main Session

12pm
Lunch
(hot mail included in the registration)

1:15pm
Breakout Workshops 1
Breakout Workshops 2

3:15pm
Apostles’ Olympics
Expo

4:30pm
Closing Ceremonies

5pm
End of Festival

Key moments

Main Session

The Main Session dives into this year’s theme, bringing it to life in a way that’s relevant to the experiences of today’s teens. Designed like a talk show, this semi-scripted event creates a relaxed and casual atmosphere, fostering engaging conversations. Participants will hear inspiring testimonies and explore the theme through dialogue, making it a key moment that connects faith with real-life experiences.

We’re excited to announce that Sr Chantal Desmarais, scsm will be the guest speaker for the Diocesan World Youth Day Teen Festival!

As a Delegate for the Synod in Rome, Kyokushin Karate Black Belt 🥋, and Hockey player 🏒, Sœur Chantal brings an amazing combination of faith and strength to inspire us all. 

Don’t miss this empowering session filled with hope and inspiration!

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Photos: Robert Gosselin/PPM & Jacques Nadeau Le Devoir

City of Joy – Apostles’ Olympics

The Apostles’ Olympics encourages participants to give the best of themselves as they sharpen each other through fun and friendly competitions. Competitions may vary according to the venue.

City of Joy – Expo

The WYD Expo is a space where young people can connect through interactive kiosks. The Expo is accessible throughout the entire duration of the Teen Festival. Here is an overview of the Expos:

 

  • “Before / After : Hope” : Canadian Melkite Youth Association
  • Development and Peace
  • Blessed Carlo Acutis
  • Mary: Model of Hope (Photobooth) – Holy Name of Jesus Parish
  • Today’s Saints (Photobooth) – Holy Name of Jesus Parish
  • Brushstrokes of Hope – Mae Ammouri – Holy Name of Jesus Parish
  • Saint Marguerite Bourgeoys – Woman of Hope – Congrégation de Notre-Dame
  • The Cross of Hope and the Word of God – Sainte Geneviève
  • Capture Hope – St. Luke Parish

City of Joy – Workshops

This year’s festival will feature interactive and dynamic workshops that will inspire teens to deepen their faith and connect with others.

On the day of the Teen Festival, participants can choose two workshops from a selection of interactive workshops on relevant themes and topics. Different workshops can be offered by language in French or English, and some will be bilingual. Availability of workshops by language will depend on registration. Workshops marked with an asterisk (*) will be run over two sessions, in which case participants will choose only this one.

Here’s an overview of what’s in store. Please note that the descriptions and bios below depend on the language in which the workshop is held.

Ateliers en français et bilingues
Une Parole qui fait vivre!

S. Chantal Desmarais, s.c.s.m.
Français

À partir d’un ou deux textes bibliques, cet atelier propose un échange enrichissant autour de questions qui permettent de découvrir que la Parole de Jésus est une Parole d’espérance et de vie. Venez partager et approfondir votre compréhension de la Parole qui transforme et nourrit notre foi !

Chute et remontée
Animé par: Rita El Ghafari,  Maria Chawah, Elias Haddad
Canadian Melkite Youth Association
Bilingue
Cet atelier sera un jeu interactif inspiré du célèbre “Jeu de l’Échelle et du Serpent”.
Les participants évolueront sur un plateau de jeu au sol assez grand pour pouvoir
se mettre debout sur une case. Les pions seront les jeunes eux-mêmes.
Décoder l'amour
David Gomez Perea
Disponible en Français et en Anglais
 
Vivre sa foi catholique dans le monde numérique
Marybel Mayorga
Disponible en Français et en Anglais
 

L’atelier, intitulé « Vivre sa foi catholique dans le monde numérique », vise à renforcer la confiance en soi pour partager sa foi en ligne avec joie et authenticité. Grâce à des échanges ouverts, les participants découvriront comment naviguer à travers les réseaux sociaux sans la pression de la comparaison, et apprendront des astuces simples pour publier de manière positive et authentique. La session met également l’accent sur le cheminement de foi unique de chaque personne. À la fin de la session, les participants auront les outils afin de partager leur histoire de foi de leur propre voix, à se connecter avec les autres et à avoir un impact positif en ligne.

Art et espérance*
Gabriela Munguia-Rosario & Shadi Doummar
Centre de Leadership Don Bosco (Don Bosco Youth Leadership Center)
Bilingue
 
L’atelier Art et Espérance est un espace créatif dédié à l’exploration artistique et au développement personnel. Son objectif est de favoriser l’expression individuelle tout en explorant les divers chemins que les jeunes empruntent et souhaitent tracer. Grâce à cette démarche, guidés par leur créativité et leur aspiration à un avenir radieux, les participants auront l’opportunité de visualiser comment devenir de véritables pèlerins de l’espérance.
L'Art d'aimer

Animé par des ados et adultes du Mouvement des Focolari
Disponible en Français et en Anglais

Découvrez l’art d’aimer inspiré par l’Évangile dans notre atelier « L’art d’aimer ». Dans les premières minutes, nous explorerons six principes fondamentaux qui guident nos relations avec les autres : J’aime en premier ; J’aime l’autre comme moi-même ; Nous nous aimons ; Je pardonne ; J’écoute l’autre ; J’aime tout le monde. Ces enseignements invitent chaque participant à vivre l’amour au quotidien.

Dans la deuxième partie de l’atelier, chacun fabriquera son propre « bracelet des actes d’amour », un rappel précieux d’aimer chaque jour. Rejoignez-nous pour célébrer et mettre en pratique la beauté de l’amour en action !

« Pèlerins d’espérance » : Cultivons la paix !
Michel Lachance et Davy Nadembega,
Développement et Paix – Caritas Canada
Disponible en Français
 
Comment être un.e artisan.e de paix ?
Alors que le Pape François nous appelle à être des « pèlerins d’espérance pour la mission », les choses vont mal, avec des guerres, des génocides, de la violence domestique, ou d’autres perturbations sociales des relations humaines.
Comment trouver le chemin de la paix ? Comment planter une graine d’espoir dans notre quotidien ?
Joignez-vous à cet atelier pour une réflexion sur la paix dans un monde abîmé par les conflits. Il est grand temps de se mettre en route pour une société plus juste.
Développement et Paix – Caritas Canada vous propose de découvrir comment les jeunes s’activent ailleurs dans le monde et comment nous pouvons nous inspirer les uns et autres pour construire un monde de paix et de justice.
Atelier interactif dans lequel chacun.e pourra s’exprimer dans un cadre bienveillant et repartir avec des idées d’actions et de prières pour répondre à l’appel du Pape François.
Découvrir les héros de l'Espérance
Animé par: S. Violaine Paradis CND
Vision: Sylviane Bodjona (équipe de service Mission Jeunesse MTL)
Disponible en Français et en Anglais
 
Un atelier interactif où tu t’amuseras à découvrir les saints et les personnages importants de l’histoire chrétienne qui se sont accrochés à l’Espérance.
Workshops in english and bilingual
Spotting Red flags and Green flags*
Gabriel Angelo Balan & Kate Garbino
LivePure Movement
English
 
In this LivePure Hangout workshop, we will tackle the different “red flags” and “green flags” that the youth of this generation encounter in their everyday lives in their pursuit of True Love. Through a karaoke/musical hangout, we will learn the “whats”, the “hows” and the “whys” that make a situation or someone a “green flag” or a “red flag.”
Fall and Rise
Youth from the Canadian Melkite Youth Association (CMYA)
Available in English and in French or bilingual
This workshop is an interactive game inspired by the famous “Snake and Ladder Game”. Participants will move around a game board on the floor, large enough to allow them to stand on a square. The pawns will be the participants themselves.
Decoding Love
David Gomez Perea
Available in English and in French
 
Living Bodly: Embracing your Catholic Faith in the Digital World
Marybel Mayorga
Available in English and French
 
The workshop, “Embracing Your Catholic Faith in the Digital World,” is all about boosting confidence to share your faith online with joy and authenticity. Through open conversations, participants will discover how to navigate social media without the pressure of comparison, and learn simple tips for posting positively and authentically. The session also focuses on highlighting each person’s unique faith journey. By the end, attendees will hopefully fell ready to share their faith story in their own voice, connecting with others and making a positive impact online.
Art and Hope*
Gabriela Munguia-Rosario & Shadi Doummar
Don Bosco Youth Leadership Centre
Bilingual
 
The Art and Hope Workshop is a creative space dedicated to artistic exploration and personal development. Its goal is to foster individual expression while exploring the various paths that young people take and wish to create. Through this approach, guided by their creativity and aspiration for a bright future, participants will have the opportunity to visualize how they can become true pilgrims of hope.
Take Heart: Resiliency, Hope, and the Cross
Francesca Rodriguez-Abante
St. Kevin’s Parish, Holy Name of Jesus Parish, Mission Jeunesse MTL
English
 
In the face of life’s challenges, resiliency can help us persevere, and press forward with hope. But what does it mean to be resilient? And how can we draw strength from our faith to endure hardships? This workshop will cover the topics of resilience, hope, and our Catholic faith to provide a renewed perspective on how to embrace the race, and not be weary.
Fit for Virtue
Chris Coll
Coach Chris Athletics
English
 
Fun fact, fitness, health & performance aren’t just for strengthening your body & mind. When understood & viewed from the rich tradition of the Church, living an active lifestyle can actually help you acquire and become a more virtuous person! In this workshop, we will look into how the virtues — specifically the cardinal virtues of justice, fortitude, prudence and temperance — can both be developed through the living an active life, as well as how they can assist us in achieving our personal health, fitness and/or performance goals as well!
Discovering Heroes of Hope
Led by: Sr Violaine Paradis, CND
Vision: Sylviane Bodjoni, Mission Jeunesse MTL Service Team
Available in English and in French
 
An interactive workshop where you’ll have fun discovering the saints and important figures in Christian history who held on to Hope.

City of Joy – Animators of Expos and Workshops

S. Chantal Desmarais, s.c.s.m
Bio

Soeur Chantal Desmarais, s.c.s.m. est une soeur de la communauté des Soeurs de Charité de Sainte-Marie. En tant que déléguée au Synode de Rome, ceinture noire de karaté Kyokushin 🥋 et joueuse de hockey 🏒, Sœur Chantal apporte une combinaison étonnante de foi et de force pour nous inspirer tous. 

Shadi Doummar - CENTRE DE LEADERSHIP JEUNESSE DON BOSCO
Bio

J’ai commencé à dessiner dès mon enfance, et j’ai ensuite décidé d’étudier les beaux-arts, car c’est une passion qui m’anime depuis toujours. Je me suis spécialisé en design d’intérieur. Actuellement, je travaille comme animateur spécialisé en arts visuels. En dehors de mon travail, je fais partie du groupe Don Bosco Latino Ministry au centre salésien des jeunes, où j’occupe le rôle d’animateur et de coordonnateur pour les jeunes adultes.

Mylène Otou - Shalom - Paroisses Notre-Dame-des-Neiges et et st. joseph du mont-royal
Bio
Rita El Ghafari, Maria Chawah, Elias Haddad - Canadian Melkite Youth Association
Bio

Mandated by the Melkite Catholic Bishop of Canada, Most Reverend Ibrahim M. Ibrahim, the CMYA will serve as a support for all the parishes of the Eparchy in their mission with the Youth (17-35 years old).

The association is committed to provide support, tools, and resources (religious, social, educational, and humanitarian programs) to all those who work in the mission with Youth to form Christian missionary disciples in the light of the Melkite tradition.

Gabriel Angelo Balan & Kate Garbino (LivePure Movement)
Bio

We are young pro-life advocates striving for purity of mind, eyes, speech, and body. We commit to proclaiming the good news of chastity and true love, by inspiring young people to live out the value of human dignity and fraternal relationships. With the vision of leading more young people to a life of Real Freedom, Total Happiness and True Love, the Live Pure Movement continues to go to places it has never been to. Now more than ever, the movement seeks to inspire people to actively participate in spreading the message of chastity and true love.

Ruth & Angel Rodriguez - Chemin Néocatéchuménal
Bio
Paroisse Sainte Geneviève
Bio
Chris Coll - Coach Chris Athletics
Bio

@coachchrisathletics

Gabriela Munguia-Rosario - CENTRE DE LEADERSHIP JEUNESSE DON BOSCO
Bio

Née au Canada de parents latino-américains, j’ai vécu dix ans en République dominicaine, où j’ai découvert ma passion pour la créativité à travers la peinture et la couture. De retour au Canada, j’ai suivi un parcours scolaire qui m’a menée vers le design industriel. Aujourd’hui, je conçois les intérieurs de trains. En dehors de mon travail, je suis très impliquée dans ma communauté. Je suis animatrice et coordonnatrice du programme ESCOGE au Centre Salésien des Jeunes et je collabore à divers événements et programmes au service des jeunes.

Mae Ammouri - Holy name of jesus parish
Bio

Mae Ammouri holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and has always felt a calling to serve others in meaningful ways. Since joining the Holy Name of Jesus parish, she has been an active member of the youth ministry, dedicating her time and creativity to foster a sense of community and support for the younger generation. 

Mae’s passion for art and creativity shines through her work within the parish, where she uses her talents to bring joy and inspiration to others. This teen fest you will find her at the expos, running the Mary photo booth and Brushstroke of Hope station, where she portrays themes of hope and unity through her art. Mae sees each brushstroke and interaction as a way to connect, uplift, and bring a message of faith to her community.

Michel Lachance & Davy Nadembega - Développement et Paix Caritas Canada
David Gomez-Perea
Bio
Holy name of jesus parish
Bio
Marybel Mayorga
Bio

With a degree in communications, Marybel has built a career in public relations and stage work alongside numerous artists, while also pursuing her own artistic path. Specializing in journalism and television, she served as a presenter for Salt and Light Media, a Catholic TV channel based in Montreal and Toronto. She later worked in communications for the Diocese of Montreal and was selected by the Dicastery for Communication to participate in the project Faith Communication in the Digital World. Marybel has also collaborated with the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops, particularly within the Media Commission. She is currently the Director of Communications for the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Francesca Rodriguez-Abante
Bio

Francesca Rodriguez-Abante is a passionate community leader pursuing her Master’s in Psychoeducation at Université de Montréal. With a background in teaching that initially fueled a keen interest in working with young people, and equipping them with the tools they need to succeed, she hopes to do so in the mental health field where she feels called to serve. Her volunteer experience for the past decade at her parish, and at the diocesan level has also given her a different perspective on how young people lean on their faith to navigate through life. Her academic, professional, and faith journey reflect her dedication to making a positive impact in her community, and being a witness of God’s glory.

S. Violaine Paradis, CND
Bio
Movement des Focolari
Bio
Exposition Carlo Acutis
Bio
Paroisse St. Luc - St. Luke
Bio

Messages

Pope Francis’
Message

WYD 2024

Message of the Archbishop

WYD 2024