Over 34 delegates from Sri Lanka will join over 2 million plus young people at the World Youth Day celebrations being held in Poland July 25-31.
"We have an opportunity to share our faith and the life experiences of Sri Lankan Catholics," said Sachith Treshan, president of Catholic Youth Federation, Kandy.
"We had 28 youths who gathered several times at a church run center in Ja-ela to prepare for the program and to practice for a cultural performance," said Treshan from his home in Kandy before he flew out of the country for the event July 20.
"Everybody will benefit from the diverse program," he said. "It will be learning, sharing and strengthening experience. We also worked with our Tamil brothers and sisters in the north and east when developing this program."
Sri Lanka's World Youth Day representatives were named at the 67th session of the National Catholic Youth Federation meeting at Caritas headquarters in Kurunegala on June 24-26.
Bishop Harold Anthony Perera of Kurunegala attended the event, as did diocesan directors and youth representatives from all over the country.
The theme for the session was "Take care that the light in you does not become darkness."
"We are supposed to educate people about Christianity in SriLanka and we have also prepared a cultural event for International Youth Day," said Father Gihan Gunathilake, National Director of the National Catholic Youth Federation.
About 2.5 million young people from around the world are expected to attend the gathering in Krakow, the childhood home of St. Pope John Paul II who initiated the gathering in 1985.