CAMDEN (July 31, 2005) – When the 100 youth and chaperones leave for World Youth Day 2005 in Cologne Germany Aug. 9, they won’t be leaving empty-handed.
The Diocese of Camden has printed 10,000 ‘Pope Pogs’ for the youth to hand out or trade with people they meet in London, France, Portugal or Germany. Similarly, the Diocese printed commemorative pogs in 1995 when Pope John Paul II visited New Jersey. The pogs were given to children in the diocese’ Catholic schools.
The colorful pogs – a small, circular disc that was a popular collectable item with kids in the 1990s – come with four different images on the fronts. They include: Pope Benedict XVI, Bishop Joseph Galante, the World Youth Day 2005 logo, and Bishop Galante’s coat-of-arms which bears the motto ‘Have the Mind of Jesus.’ (click here to view) Each pog has a common back commemorating World Youth Day 2005.
They are being printed by Pirolli Printers, Bellmawr. Father Tom Barcellona, Director of Youth Ministry for the Diocese of Camden, said it is common for youth to trade items with others they meet on World Youth Day trips.
“Some kids trade their own baseball caps or swap t-shirts with someone they just met, especially if they both don’t speak each other’s language,” Barcellona said. The pogs will be handed out to the youth making the trip at the “Send Off” Mass to be celebrated by Bishop Joseph Galante at 2 p.m. Aug. 7 at St. Bernadette Church, Northfield.