By Ana Fonseca |
A week before leaving for Brazil, I met with a friend who attended the last World Youth Day [WYD] in Spain to borrow his money belt (safety first), and more importantly, to get some advice. I anxiously searched his face for that one gold nugget of truth that would send me forth as an invigorated and fearless pilgrim on a 15-hour plane ride to South America. His sage advice: “Drink a lot of water.” I waited. No, that was all. When prompted for more, he said, “Hmm… Oh yeah! Be prepared to walk a lot.”
He could have added some kind of proverb about the weather, but other than that, I realize now that his advice was solid. The lessons I learned were experiences, moments in time that I could only share with you if I was The Giver. But that’s WYD; at no other point in my life will I ever find myself in circumstances so distinct that they are holy.
At one of the catechesis (Catholic TED talks plus Mass in one’s native language- brilliant), one of the speakers recounted one of his experiences with Blessed John Paul II. He asked the then Pope why he had chosen to begin WYD in the first place and JPII replied, “Because I saw them so much alone, and I didn’t want them to be alone anymore.” Let me tell you, when you’re in an underground metro just trying to get to the beach and maybe catch a glimpse of the Papa (just like everyone else), and your body is pressed against pilgrims from every continent, some bearing flags you’ve never seen before in your life, and you know that all of these people speak different languages and it just doesn’t matter because you find yourself chanting right alongside them in Brazil’s Portuguese, “Esta é a juventude do papa! This is the youth of the Pope!” that’s when feeling alone is hard work.
At WYD I experienced fellowship. I met young Catholics also striving to live lives of holiness and truth under Jesus Christ. There’s nothing like knowing there are at least 3.5 million others of you. I discontinued the money belt because I felt safe (that, and I broke the zipper); I knew I was surrounded by the Catholic Church.
We gathered at Copacabana Beach for one big Jesus party. Pope Francis spoke to the sea of pilgrims united together under one God for one purpose, and his message to us was courage. He said, “Go, do not be afraid, and serve.” I took great comfort in understanding, in seeing for my very eyes, that I’m not carrying the cross forward by myself. All that we really need is a little gumption.
Ana Fonseca is a sophomore English major. She can be reached at fonsecaa16@up.edu.
By Ariel Niedo |
After three plane rides and seventeen hours of flying, our group of 14 pilgrims finally arrived in Brazil to begin our pilgrimage to World Youth Day (WYD).
We were welcomed at the airport with excitement by priests and brothers from Holy Cross of Colégio Notre Dame. During our first week, Mission Week, we participated in pre-WYD activities: we went to a Catholic TV station and Notre Dame High School. We visited the sick, prayed and sang with them. We also participated in a flash mob dance which we performed in front of a huge cathedral.
During our first week we were each assigned to different host families who made sure we never got hungry. Fresh juice, rice and beans, hot dogs topped with mashed potatos, quail eggs, and crunchy fries were all part of our diet. Many of our host parents could not speak English and we knew very little Portuguese. As challenging as communicating was, this did not stop them from showing us how much they cared for us.
From Campinas we traveled to Rio de Janeiro for the start of WYD. Every day was a big celebration of faith with music, dancing and other performances. We celebrated mass at Copacabana Beach where 3 million young people filled the beach waving flags of their own countries.
One of the best parts of the trip was trading items. We exchanged purple UP bracelets engraved with the words BELIEVE on it (it was mistaken many times for Justin Bieber bracelets) with other pilgrims we met from all over the world.
One of the most memorable times was seeing Rio’s famous Christ the Redeemer statue upon the mountaintops of Corcovado. Because it was winter in Brazil, the weather was rainy, foggy and unpredictable. People were saying that we would be lucky if we just saw the feet of ‘Big Jesus’. But we took the risk and when we went up the mountain the clouds cleared up for a moment and we actually saw Jesus with his arms wide open overlooking the city of Rio de Janeiro.
Despite the weather and the packed subways, everyone’s spirits were high. We chanted ‘Esta Es La Juventud del Papa’[this is the youth of the Pope] anywhere and everywhere. We would sing songs in the subways even though we were pushed against each other. Some of us were carried on each other’s shoulders to see above the crowds as Pope Francis waved and passed by in his Popemobile. The sky finally cleared during the Final Mass celebrated by Papa Francis. He encouraged us at the Copacabana and youth around the world, “Go, don’t be afraid, and serve.” He called us to make disciples of all nations, and we returned both happy and ready to follow his command.
Ariel Niedo is a sophomore electrical engineering major. She can be reached at niedo16@up.edu.
