Marie T. Muna, assistant coordinator of the CNMI delegation, said two religious sisters, one seminarian and chaperones will accompany the local youth.
The first batch of six left on Saturday and three more groups left yesterday. Another group is scheduled to leave today at 5 a.m. and two other groups are set to fly on Friday.
Muna said 23 delegates will meet first in Manila while nine others will go straight to Australia.
Fr. Florentino E. Ricaido Jr., the youth minister director of the Diocese of Chalan Kanoa, left yesterday.
Other CNMI priests who will participate in the World Youth Day celebration are Fr. Rey D. Rosal of San Vicente Church, Fr. Delfin Tumaca, acting administrator of the San Francisco De Borja Church on Rota, and Fr. Man Soo Kye of the Korean Catholic Church of Saipan.
There are 12 parishes in the CNMI that will send delegates to the celebration, Muna said, adding that the participants are actively involved in church and community services
“Some of them are lectors,” she said, referring to the delegates.
Two year ago, immediately after the 2006 World Youth Day in Germany, CNMI parishes began the fundraising activities for this year’s delegates.
Muna said some parishioners and community members also helped defray the travel expenses of the delegates.
In Australia, the CNMI delegates will “participate in Bible reading, confession and all other programs,” she added.
Muna is urging the local youth who were not able to participate the celebration to “pray for us and unite our prayers with the Pope.”
Worth Youth Day will also mark the first visit of Pope Benedict XVI to Australia.
World Youth Day is considered the largest youth event in the world and is organized by the Roman Catholic Church.
It is expected to attract more visitors — over 125,000 — than the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
