From 6 to 9 May 2017, the Russian youth of the Diocese of Novosibirsk will be attending an event that marks “the first step in the preparation of the Synod of Bishops dedicated to young people scheduled for autumn 2018 in Rome”. The meeting entitled “My soul magnifies the Lord” will also mark the centenary of the apparitions at Fatima. Following the Mass in the Novosibirsk Cathedral, participants will travel outside the city to a meeting centre on the banks of the River Ob. The programme includes conferences, group discussions, personal exchanges, and moments of prayer. Attending the event will be young people aged 16 to 30 from the some 70 parishes of the country guided by youth ministry coordinator Fr. Alexander Depperschmidt. The meeting will end on 9 May with a Mass presided over by Bishop Joseph Werth in the Transfiguration Cathedral of Novosibirsk. Catholics in the Western region of Siberia represent about 2% of the population. The Diocese is working on the preparation of the pan-Russian meeting of families that will be held there in early August 2017.