World Youth Day Events to be Live Streamed on AMS App

Free Service will enable active-duty young adults around the world to watch in real time

WASHINGTON, D.C. –The Archdiocese for the Military Services (AMS) today announced its app, AMS Catholic Faith Deployed, will provide live stream video of events at the July 23-28World Youth Day (WYD) 2013 celebration in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The app, available as a free download on iTunes, is designed for access on both iPads and iPhones anywhere in the world.

The stream will open a real-time, virtual window on the main events of WYD 2013 including the welcoming ceremony for Pope Francis on Thursday, July 25 at 6:00 p.m. (BRT); the Way of the Cross on Friday, July 26 at 6:00 p.m. (BRT); the prayer vigil on Saturday, July 27 at 7:30 p.m. (BRT); and the closing Mass on Sunday, July 28 at 10:00 a.m. (BRT).

The AMS will be represented at WYD 2013 by Auxiliary Bishop Neal J. Buckon and a delegation of two dozen young adults from Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas, Nevada. For AMS members who cannot attend, the stream—delivered live from Rio through the facilities of Toronto, Ontario-based Salt + Light TV—is the next best way to experience the celebration, according to Dr. Mark Moitoza, AMS Vice-Chancellor for Evangelization.

Dr. Moitoza said:

“In this Year of Faith, the AMS is especially concerned with helping Catholics who serve our country in uniform stay connected to their Faith, no matter where in the world they may be currently stationed. Live stream delivery to portable devices is an efficient, effective way to make that connection, and what greater focal point than World Youth Day? After all, this is where Pope Francis will make his first overseas trip from the Vatican since his election by the College of Cardinals in March. The AMS is grateful to Salt + Light TV for providing this service to families in the military.”

The AMS Catholic Faith Deployed app is meant to extend access to and sharing of Catholic teachings for Catholics serving in the military around the world. Launched last December, the app was developed and funded in cooperation with UpWord Studios, a non-profit organization that supports and funds the creation of Catholic new media. Among the app’s features are:

• Mobile access to the AMS Digital Resource Center for a wide range of video, audio and multimedia digital conten
• Daily and seasonal prayers and mediations for personal inspiration from Liturgy Training Publications and Loyola Press
• Embedded resources for the Year of Faith from ACTA publications
• Free monthly updates for Bible studies, meditations, catholic humor, and other content
• Live stream portal for live webcasts.

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About World Youth Day

World Youth Day (WYD) is a meeting of young people from all over the world, gathered to celebrate and learn about their faith. It is a great worldwide encounter with the Pope which is celebrated every two or three years in a different country and is one of the primary means by which the Church proclaims the message of Christ to and expresses its concern for young people. The upcoming World Youth Day will take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on July 23 to 28, 2013. Pope John Paul II began World Youth Day in the 1980′s, and the tradition has continued with Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. The last four WYDs were held in Madrid, Spain (2011); Sydney, Australia (2008); Cologne, Germany (2005); and Toronto, Canada (2002). Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims of high school, college, and young adult age come from all over the world to join in these celebrations of the universal Church.

About UpWord Studios

UpWord Studios, Inc, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization with the mission to create digital New Media using Internet and wireless technologies. With a unique blend of experts in technology, theology, and ministry, UpWord Studios brings Catholic traditions to new life for the millennial Catholic community. In partnership with a broad field of Catholic publishers, ministerial organizations, and Catholic artists, UpWord Studios, Inc. strives to deepen the experience of Catholic conversation among the faithful, invigorate a deeper understanding, and appreciation of the Catholic faith for those inquiring, and provide open doors of hospitality and renewal for those who are seeking to return to the Church of their baptism.

About the Archdiocese for the Military Services (AMS)

The AMS was created as an independent archdiocese by Pope John Paul II in 1985 as the only Catholic jurisdiction responsible for endorsing and granting faculties for priests to serve as chaplains in the U.S. military and VA Medical Centers. AMS-endorsed priests serve at more than 220 U.S. military installations in 29 countries, making the AMS the nation’s only global archdiocese. AMS-endorsed priests also serve at 153 VA Medical Centers throughout the U.S. The AMS service population also includes American Catholic civilians working for the federal government in 134 countries, but currently, due to limited resources, the AMS cannot adequately serve this population. Worldwide, an estimated 1.8 million Catholics depend on the AMS to meet their spiritual and sacramental needs. For more information on the Archdiocese for the Military Services, visit www.milarch.org, the only official Web site for Catholics in the military and for the Cause of Father Vincent Capodanno, M.M.