Via Crucis

            The day after the pope arrived, there was a giant American Mass put on by the Knights of Columbus.  It was described afterwards by some as “The greatest Mass of [their] life.”  Present were fifty bishops and three hundred and fifty priests and it was lead by Archbishop Dolan, the head of the United States Council of Catholic Bishops.  Dolan emphasised the youth of the Church’s role in the world today.  He said that we must stay rooted in our faith and not to stray into the temptations of the world around us.

            While most were at the American Mass, five of us went to a Spanish Mass for vocations.  I really enjoyed this Mass as I was once again surrounded by people from all over the world as we celebrated Mass together.  While I could not understand what was being said, the Mass was still a powerful experience.  Such experiences make me extremely proud to be Catholic.

            Following Mass, we watched the Way of the Cross from a remote locate hosted by the Knights of Columbus.  After debating the pros and cons of going to the event in the street, we decided that it would be best to watch it inside as the temperature was around one hundred and ten degrees Fahrenheit and the crowds would make seeing it difficult.  Being that our location was in English, there were many Americans, British, South Africans and Australians present which still created a very diverse crowd.  I found the stations to be very powerful because it was made to relate to our lives.  Two stations really stand out to me.  The first is the seventh station where Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus carry His cross.  The cross was carried at this point by youths who suffer marginalism such as mentally disabled and minority groups.  The second was the ninth station when Jesus is stripped of His garments.  This part was carried by young people from Rwanda and Burundi who have faced violence and rape.  This representation of the stations really shows how Christ represents different people in His passion and death.  This experience was truly rewarding and made the pilgrimage a great deal more beneficial for me and others in the group.

El Papa

            18 August 2011 is the day the pope arrived in Madrid.  The diocese decided that seeing him was the main objective of the day.  One of the groups was able to get up against the barricade lining the road, only after arriving about half a day early though.  The crowds filed in throughout the day and it was amazing to see the size of the masses.  Millions of people gathered together to see the leader of their Church, their el papa.  As he came in, the entire crowd pushed to see him.  It was truly incredible.  He was only a metre away and we were able to take excellent pictures and see our Holy Father very clearly.  As we were exhausted after our long day waiting for the pope, we went back to the hotel to sleep.

"Lord, If It Is Really You, Command Me to Come to you on the Water."

            The first full day of World Youth Day was 17 August 2011.  Beginning the day with catechises, we had a good start.  While the church was extremely hot and not all of our diocese could get in due to the number of people, it was very beneficial.  Francis Cardinal George spoke of our relationship with God.  One thing he touched on was the sacrifice of God’s relationship with us.  This reminds me of the Franciscan perspective on the Nativity.  Christ, being completely divine, sacrificed a great deal becoming human, even as He retained His divinity.  As God, Jesus has to risk a great deal forming a relationship with us as we are made imperfect by sin and He is infinitely perfect.  We are not exactly the most trustworthy of beings, especially in relation to God.  This really shows how great God’s love is for us if He is willing to risk so much for each and every one of us.

            Following Mass, the diocese went to see Christopher West’s talk on the Theology of the Body. Unfortunately, only two of us were able to get in as the size of the building housing his presentation was far from sufficient.  However, the two that did make it in said it was a wonderful experience and that they thoroughly enjoyed it.  As we had already made the trek across the city, half of us decided to stay and eat dinner.  Afterwards, we found out that there was a Christian rock concert in the same building as Christopher West later that night.  We decided to stay and were able to get front row seats.  The concert was a lot of fun and showed how awesome Catholics are as we jumped and danced with hundreds from around the world.  Feeling completely satisfied with our day, we brought it home with a little ice cream.

Adiutorium Nostrum in Nomine Domini.

            In the morning of 16 August 2011, our first full day in Spain, we were able to refrain from eating European sized breakfast and instead consumed one that was much more substantial.  While this may not seem to be a big deal, it was extremely beneficial when enduring the Spanish heat and the amount of walking that was necessary.  After breakfast we proceeded to take a bus to Avila.

            Upon arrival in Avila, we were immediately struck by the sight of the walls surrounding the old part of the city.  Seeing this medieval city really exhibited the militant nature of the period in which Teresa, the saint who reformed the Carmelite order, lived, especially seeing that the cathedral was also a tower used to defend the city.  In our time, people often ask how people can believe in God or act as a Christian in our violent and vice-filled world.  However, we should remember that now is not the first time war has come to earth, something made obvious by the city Teresa lived in.  In fact, in a walled city such as Avila, war was probably a much more prevalent thing than in our lives in the United States or other western countries.  That Teresa can become a saint by pointing out changes that need to be made in the local world that she lived in while having evils present proves that we can and should do the same.

            Following our tour of Avila and dinner on a hill opposite it, we drove back to Madrid to prepare for the opening Mass for World Youth Day.  The Mass was truly and amazing sight.  Millions of people from all over the world gathered together to celebrate Mass as one.  Reading the Gospel after Mass, I was unable to understand it at the time as it was in Spanish and we could not find the English translation that was on the radio, I found that it involved Jesus asking Simon Peter if he loved him and told him to feed His sheep.  This was intriguing as it related to St. Teresa and our lives today.  Because she loved Christ and saw that the world was hungry for something more, she worked to feed that world.  Teresa did more than just observe the problems in her order; she reformed it to make it a more spiritual experience for all of its members and to align it more with Christ’s teachings.  Seeing millions of people united together in Christ made this easy-to-write-on-paper concept something that seemed much more plausible in real life.  As a Church, we can do a great deal as we are all united in Christ’s love.  All we need to do is take the first step that millions of others are taking with us.

Au Revoir, France. Hola, Espana.

            Facing another early morning on 15 August 2011, we prepared to leave Lourdes.  After attending Mass at 6:30 am Mass in the Basilica, we ate a quick breakfast and hit the road.  Being an eight hour bus ride if we were to drive straight from Lourdes to Madrid, it was important that we leave as early as possible.  However, the laws in Spain require that bus drivers take a break after two hours of driving which, while being understandable and safe, added more to our time.  On the bright side, the drive was actually really nice as we were able to see the Pyrenees Mountains between France and Spain and the French and Spanish countrysides.  The most interesting part was the drastic change between France and Spain.  While the French Pyrenees are lush and very green, the Spanish Pyrenees, only three minutes or so through a tunnel away, are desolate and yellow.  Though I found the Spanish side to be much more beautiful, most of the other pilgrims said otherwise.

            About halfway to Madrid, we stopped in Zaragoza, Spain to eat lunch and see the basilica there.  The basilica was constructed over a small church built by St. James in dedication to Mary, the first Marian church to be built.  It is said that James saw Mary there in a vision while she was still alive thousands of miles away.  The pillar where he saw her is located in the church and is venerated by pilgrims to the site.  Upon leaving Zaragoza, we proceeded onto Madrid.

            Arriving in Madrid, we took care of getting into our hotel and distributing the backpacks given to us for World Youth Day.  Then, as a diocese, we went out to dinner together to celebrate our long awaited entrance to Madrid.  As it was late by this point, we took a quick walk around the city, drank hot chocolate and ate churros and went to bed.  While the day seemed strenuously long, it was still a wonderful experience and one filled with beautiful images of Spain and France.

Allez boire a la source et vous y laver.

                Gasping for life after plunging into a frigid pool of water is a strange experience.  While you know that there are two people on either side of you helping you through the process, you feel as if you are dying in the plunge.  As you search for air you feel as if you are searching for life, and when you find it, you feel that it is new, clearer and pure.

                On the first Sunday of the pilgrimage, many of us awoke early to experience the baths of Lourdes that we had seen so many faithful people waiting for.  While the rest of the group went later in the day, we came early to escape the crowds.  As it was an individual event, I can only speak for my own bath.  Entering into the bath chambers, I was required to strip down and was then covered by a towel.  As I stepped towards the bath, there were a few men to help me through the process.  Wading into the water, a man on either side walked me through the ritual.  After praying for intercession through Sts. Mary and Bernadette, I was dunked into the seemingly freezing water by the men on my sides.  They then gave me a cup of water from the spring and told me that as I bathed in the waters of Lourdes, I must drink of it as well.  Drinking this pure cleansing water and being covered by it as well was a refreshing experience; one that I hope was as significant to the rest of the pilgrims.

                Later in the day, we attended Mass in the grotto with pilgrims from many other countries.  While the Mass was primarily in English, the readings and homily were given in English, Italian and French and the hymns were sung in multiple languages.  I was once again struck by the significance of the Gospel.  From Mathew, we heard of a Canaanite woman who went to Jesus to request the relief of her daughter from a devil’s tormentation.  Because of her faith, Jesus frees her daughter.  These stories of faith hold great weight while walking through Lourdes and seeing people in wheelchairs, families with disabled children and old women and men all coming to the baths with the intense faith that they may be healed.  It truly made me realize how much father I have to go on my faith journey.

                Following Mass and lunch, we separated into different groups to tour the city.  The set I was with went to St. Bernadette’s childhood homes, le Basilique de Notre Dame l’Lmmaculee Conception (the Basilica of our Lady of the Immaculate Conception) and Lourdes’ castle.  Bernadette’s homes gave a good image of how her life changed as she went from middle to lower class with the loss of her father’s job.  While this all happened a century ago, the economic times of the day really put the situation into our own perspective.  The Basilica was absolutely beautiful as it really showed the dedication of those who built it to our Lady.  The castle, provided an interesting history of Lourdes as a point for the Muslim invasion of Europe and the later recapture by the Christians as well as an extraordinary view of the city.

                That evening there was a candlelight procession of all those attending World Youth Day who were in the city and others who wished to attend the procession.  On the way down the hill, we were situated next to pilgrims from the Virgin Islands, Poland and Chile.  As we all sang songs from our perspective areas, it really gave an impression of the universal nature of the Church.  As we moved on, we entered the courtyard of the Basilica which was filled with thousands of the faithful with candles and praying the rosary in different languages.  While we all came from different places and backgrounds, we were and are all one.  After praying seven decades of the rosary which were dedicated to Mary, gave each other the sign of peace in our own languages.  I was reminded at this time of a line of the Psalm that day, “Let the nations praise you, God, let all the nations praise you” (Psalm 67:3).

Que Soy Era Immaculada Concepciou

            Today feels as if it is the longest day of the pilgrimage, or at least we hope it is.  Leaving between 12:30 and 1:00pm Diocese of Gary time on 12 August 2011, we boarded the bus, first at Elizabeth Ann Seton in Valparaiso and followed with a boarding at Our Lady of Sorrows in Portage.  Walking onto Air France flight 667, the travellers took their first steps towards a spiritual journey that they have long awaited.  For some it is their first pilgrimage, others their first time in Europe and for one the first time in the air. 

            While already becoming a life changing experience before leaving the gate in Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris, the pilgrimage had only begun.  After taking a connecting flight to Pau and then a forty-five minute bus ride, we finally made it to Lourdes, France.  What many expected to be a small village and a church in the mountains turned out to be a town of twenty thousand full of bustling European streets and market vendors situated amongst the beautiful Pyrenees mountains.

            Soon after getting cleaned up in the Hotel Acadia, we set off towards our first Mass of the pilgrimage.  Moving into the area of the grotto, we were surrounded by a great crowd of pilgrims from all over the world, some we spoke to were from Chile, India and others from the United States.  Towering over the mob of people stood a massive Basilica of the Immaculate Conception built on the top of the cliff of the grotto.  Proceeding onwards, we came upon the baths of Lourdes.  Here, hundreds of people line up to bathe in the waters of the spring brought forth by Mary to St. Bernadette in the hope of experiencing its healing powers.  It was just beyond here that we celebrated Mass together in a chapel.

            The Saturday readings for Mass were from the Book of Joshua and the Gospel of Matthew.  I found these readings to really stand out today as they both involved an unquestioning surrender to God.  First, as Joshua speaks to the people of Israel telling them that they must choose between the god of their ancestors and the gods of the neighbouring tribes and kingdoms.  When confronted, the Israelites respond, saying that they give themselves to worshiping the Lord.  We can see here that even as the world around us tells us that we can find happiness in things created by man, the only way that we can find real happiness and truth is through God, even if He may not be as tangible as a gold statue, television or cars.  In the Gospel, Jesus tells us that we must be as children to enter into the Kingdom of God.  Only by acting as a child to a parent and unquestioningly follow them can we truly follow God.  While this may sound wonderful and might actually get us to think a little bit, what I really found inspiring was seeing it in practice.  Walking out of Mass, we once again passed the baths.  Seeing all of these people suffering from ailments of the body, mind and soul with the deepest hope, desire and belief that God can cure them through the conduit of the spring water makes on realize what following Christ is.  In putting everything into our belief and will to follow God, we can all be healed body, mind and soul.

            Following dinner, our diocese held a candlelight procession down to the grotto while praying the rosary.  It was a beautiful prayer and was made even more so as others joined the procession.  People would just walk up to others in our line and ask to have their candles lit by ours and then join in our prayer.  It truly made the universality of the Catholic Church visible seeing people of all walks of life, regions of the world and cultural backgrounds united in one purpose.  As we finished the rosary, it seemed a day well spent ending at 10:00pm in France on 13 August 2011.

Planted and Built Up in Jesus Christ, Firm in the Faith: the Title for World Youth Day 2011

            “Planted and built up in Jesus Christ, firm in the faith...” (Col 2:7).  Formed in Christ within our communities, we each emulate Him in our own way, in a fashion unique to ourselves and to our environment.  It is here that we are founded in faith and nurtured to be as Christ to the world.  This transcription of Christ, however, only presents part of a whole.  As together we “are the body of Christ and individually members of it” (1 Cor 12:27) we each possess gifts and knowledge that can only be shared as we share Christ with each other.  We can better know Christ through interaction with our fellow members of His body.  It is in this endeavour to learn about the whole through its parts that pilgrimages such as World Youth Day are essential.  While we learn from each other within our communities, how much more we can learn from those from areas outside of our own, from those of another region of the body.  While conversing with the rest of the mouth of Christ we may learn to speak His word, only by discovering His feet can we learn to walk with Him.  In sharing our faith experiences with those from different backgrounds, traditions, environments and foundations, we can strengthen our faith and reinforce theirs.  This is my most sincere hope for the pilgrimage that we are to embark on tomorrow, to teach from what has been planted within us, to be built up by others of the body of Christ and to become ever more firm in our faith.