Over to the young pilgrims

Poliana Menezes (Brazil)

Isn’t it great to be all together, to get to know other young people, and young Betharramites from all over the world, to share the same faith and carry it out in the streets!  This is what the WYD really means and much more besides for the youth of Vibra (Vicariate of Brazil)
We met up at Paulinia, Sao Paulo, for the pre-WYD where we were delighted by the welcome in the local Betharramite communities.  For the majority of us this was our first meeting.  Yet we were received like children, friends and like the young brothers and sisters.  Italians, Paraguans, French, Argentineans and Brazilians.  Everyone was speaking in his own language but we were spreading the same happiness to be missionaries following and announcing the Lord.  In that marvellous city called Rio de Janeiro things were even better: a huge crowd on the beach at Copacabana were rejoicing, praying, awaiting the joy of seeing and hearing the Pope himself for the first time we shall never forget his presence so close to us, nor what he had to say.  As young Betharramites we want to make ours what Francis said to us at the closing Mass:  Go forth without fear, to serve for the real missionary becomes the servant of all” Here I am, Lord!  Send me!

Brian Barrionuevo (Argentina)

We arrived in Paulinia with our Italian brothers and we received a wonderful welcome! Songs, dances, colours, and JOY.
From the start it was obvious that we were united when we had to leave the bus which was blocked in the entrance.  We all began to push the bus in all directions.   We understood at once that our union was going to last for the duration.
A few days later our French and Paraguayan brothers joined us and the family was complete.  During the week prior to the WYD all the stories which we shared with our hosts are buried in our hearts.
We reached Rio finally.  Several of us had a nice surprise which was not necessarily what we were expecting, but this didn’t deter us.  We went FORWARD.  FORWARD ALL THE TIME!
During the WYD we split up according to  nationality to follow the different activities, the Italians on one side, the Brazilians and Spanish on the other.  Yet during those days something extraordinary happened.  Although we followed different routes, sooner or later we met up with our friends again, whether in the train, on the underground or on the beach at Copacabana.  Don’t you think it’s crazy to find your group in the middle of 3 million individuals?  It’s not crazy, it’s the hand of God!
There I understood that God wanted to see us.  Distance isn’t a problem and if we met up in the course of this adventure it’s never to be separated.
I understood what it means to “make disciples in all countries”.
For this reason and many others besides I thank God for having met them, and of having walked part of the way with them and leaving my foot print.
Thank you very much Amen.

Michele Arosio (Italy)

It’s never easy to resume one’s everyday life after such an experience!  Especially when such an experience is the WYD in Rio, something very special because we were with other young pilgrims coming from different countries – Betharramite pilgrims.
I shall remember this summer because of the huge number of experiences I enjoyed and the great number of people I met.  Today my heart is greater than ever.
Even before setting out I was undecided and terrified at the journey.  9000 km is enough to frighten anyone!  No sooner had we arrived in Paulinia than I understood that this was no ordinary journey....the welcome, the singing, the dances all showed us the joy of the meeting!  The first week made an impression on me, seeing so many South American young people full of enthusiasm at the prospect of following Christ. To be able to share this with the Fathers gave me fresh impetus to share this also with the young Italians.  Yes, following Christ is an amazing experience!
All these feelings were confirmed during he week at Rio – millions of young people, ready to sing, tireless, rushing to be as near as possible to Jesus and to catch the least message from Pope Francis – sign of their willingness to live really of Christ and with Christ.
The mingling of colours, songs and dances! A new and unique way of being faithful to one’s faith, something hardly ever seen  in Italy, and which I would love to see every day!

All can be resumed in the three phrases which the Holy Father left us:  Go!  Without fear!  Serve! Especially this “without fear”, courageously! Christians are courageous. They don’t panic at the sight of differences, refusals, difficulties. Just like at Rio: off we went and we talked to everybody. We shouted our joy of belonging to Christ!

It’s not easy. Today society is trying to chill our faith, but after you’ve been to Brazil I can tell you that united we are strong! Let’s support each other; let’s live our faith in communion; let’s trust our brothers!  What I have received during those two weeks I would love to have every day!

Camille  Bartels (France)

The word which best sums up my WYD is perhaps “meeting”.  A meeting with one’s self, with my group, with the young Betharramites from different countries, a meeting with the youth from the whole wide world and the meeting with Pope Francis.  A joyful meeting! For me this was an unforgettable experience.  When the Pope speaks it is with utter simplicity which touches us to the heart especially us the youth.  He makes us long to get out then and there without further ado.  Here is a quotation from his homily at the closing Mass: “Dear young people, Jesus Christ relies on you! The Church relies on you!  The Pope relies on you!  May Mary, the Mother of Jesus and our Mother accompany you always with her tenderness:”  “Go now and make disciples of all nations” Of course the atmosphere in the WYD is so different from what we are used to; everyone is open to the others; you talk to everyone about everything without any fear.  You can spend days that seem unbearable with the cold, rain, or lack of sleep, yet to us they seem fantastic.  It’s an experience to be lived through at every WYD, to be encouraged and to help your neighbour to discover.

Aude Fioc (France)

“Take up your cross and follow me!”
The thing which made the deepest impression on me was the Stations of the Cross.  There were a million of us, all nationalities, packed like sardines, under the rain, on the beach at Copacabana.  And yet that is where I felt “something”.
During the Stations of the Cross, at each station a meditation was proposed on present day problems which we young people are sure to meet.
At the last station, each continent was entrusted with a mission.  Here is ours: “May Europe get over this destructive wave of secularisation, thanks to the courageous proclamation of our Faith”.

Marie Silvana Godoy Bonini (Paraguay)

I am 17 years of age and I was lucky to be present at the World Youth Days in Rio de Janeiro.  This was a unique and incomparable experience, like all the WYD. But this particular one was very special and impressive. First of all because Blessed Chiara Luce Badano, who departed this life at 18 years of age after a life of incredible holiness, patron of the event. A real example to follow! Secondly because I was able to stand near Pope Francis.  To be standing there was just like being in Heaven; quite simply moving. To be there and see that so many individuals, especially the young, were there for a single reason: Christ and the Successor of Peter.  We were the youth of 5 continents, with different languages, cultures and traditions. Sometimes things got complicated because of the language but we still had something in common: we all spoke the language of love, Christ’s language. There was no language barrier, no culture, no tradition, no colour, nothing to prevent us from chatting together. The joy and enthusiasm of the young pilgrims was palpable. Songs, cries even tears of joy and emotion! It was a climate totally different from what we are accustomed to every day. Quite impossible not to be happy nor to greet those we met.  Quite impossible not to feel the presence of Christ incarnate in each one there. But the moment when I had the certainty that He was actually working along with the patron saints of the WYD was when Pope Francis began to speak. I have never heard anything like his voice – so soft and yet able to communicate with us. I thought “How close the Pope must be to Jesus to be Pope!!  How he must be like him! In a word, it is the Lord himself but under another appearance whose choice has fallen on Francis. An  incredible choice!“ That’s how it is; Christ chooses us, calls us, calls us to be his disciples to evangelise, and to bring him where people have greatest need of him; we realise that by trusting in his love and his divine grace we can do a lot. I have experienced this great love of God in each passing moment. What the Pope was saying was captivating, touching. He left us with the desire to do something and to realise it. Every day of the WYD is engraved on my memory and has convinced me that we can build a better world.  The first thing we must rid ourselves of is fear and God will take care of the rest. Neither money nor other earthly goods can buy this, because God’s love and the will to succeed are incredible. This is why he manifests himself through people like Pope Francis and people like us from the whole wide world, to show the world that we believe in someone who is in heaven, and who loves us with all his heart; someone capable of assembling the youth of the whole world to give us his message and show us how lucky we are. An incredible experience, fantastic, exhilirating – I’m running out of adjectives! There are no words to describe what it’s like to have such an experience. There is still the duty to communicate everything the Pope said and everything that Jesus said to each one in a special way. Christians must change the world; Christians will change the world.