Thank You Banquet!

Dear World Youth Day family!

On behalf of the World Youth Day pilgrims, thank you for your prayers and support! It was truly an unforgettable journey and experience!

The World Youth Day pilgrims are hosting a simple Thank You supper for all parishioners, friends and family who supported us along our faith journey. The banquet will be held on Saturday, October 1st from 6:30 - 8:00 PM in Marian Hall after the 5 PM Vigil Mass.

Please RSVP to Larry so we can have an accurate headcount for our meal. The cost is free, but the sharing of stories, witness speakers and photos: priceless!

Everyone is invited!

Send your emails to larryc@stjoevan.org

peace,
larry

Last Night in Madrid

Our last day in Madrid was quite different for all of us. Some of us went on a tour of Madrid in a double decker bus. Mike and Karen went to Toledo. Others of us wandered around finishing up the purchasing of gifts for all of you at home. The weather was absolutely perfect, not ridiculously hot like it has been. Everyone is in good spirits. We just finished celebrating Rachel's 8th birthday enjoying chocolate cake and good conversation with the whole group.
What an experience this has been! Each of us will come back home with different experiences and unique stories to share, but we all grew tremendously on this pilgrimage.  I can't say I'll do this again, parts of it were very overwhelming. But I know that I am coming back home with a better understanding of our faith and renewed hope in my generation.  So many young people came here to celebrate our Catholic faith and we will all leave on fire with it. Some will come back with a slow burning embers, and others will come back blazing like a bonfire.  I know that we all feel extremely blessed to have been able to come on this journey. I want to thank all of you for your continued prayers and support through the two years we have planned for this and now our time here in Europe. See you all tomorrow! God bless.
Emily Barbieri

So Close, Yet So Far...

Pilgrims on hike to Cuatro Vientos

The pilgrim walk was arduous to say the least. I saw at least two people pass out on the way that ultimately needed medical attention from the EMTs. Luckily, these incidents were thankfully close to "oasis", and we were able to get them water right away. It was touching to see people give their water freely to help someone in need. That, and I remember Michael Smith. When we saw one person passed out, he tore down the road like a bat out of... Gehenna. The weather was extremely hot, nearing 100 degrees and there was a lack of water stations along the five mile walk to Cuatro Vientos. However, in the midst of all this, people were still filled with a spirit of joy and helpfulness. Some of the local Spaniards had their water hoses out and were spraying pilgrims along the way. Others were sprinkling water from their water buckets from overpasses, dumping buckets (much to the amusement of the children) and filling water bottles (much to the liking of the pilgrims). As we approached the gate, we were dismayed to find it had been closed! We had to "proceed to Gate 5", and thankfully we found a nice (and by nice, I simply mean less bumpy) spot in front of a large screen.

Campsite in Section J-5

We, sadly, did not see the Pope in person, but we got the next-best-thing. Also, we met a friend! I desperately hope she doesn't find this blog, and if she does, please forgive me! I forgot how to spell her name. Sageta? Sageta. A funny and joyous woman from Lithuania. After learning she traveled alone, we invited to hang out with us. Throughout out our prayer service, a little hurricane made its way through WYD! Thankfully our tent and tarps remained intact. Sageta was thankful dad brought a tarp. That night, we were mortified then joyous at the announcements that 3 children had been lost, then found. What saddened me the most was when I woke up, 23 children had been missing throughout the night. What made me most happy was the announcement at the end of the Mass (in the morning) that somehow, by the Grace of God, all the children were found! I know 26 is nothing out of 1.5 million, but we were very, very happy to see these children safe and sound. During Mass, we did not receive Communion, sadly. Once word got around that there was a priest with the Host, people flocked together and it was distributed before we got there. So close, yet so far... That is also how we felt about the Pope. Nonetheless, it was an AMAZING experience, and we learned the next World Youth Day will be in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil!

Pope on the big screen

I thank God for these weeks and as I walk home from the farewell dinner, the thoughts in my head resound "We're done!" Now back to my summer assignments, I suppose... I am extremely grateful for everyone who supported us in our travels - World Youth Day is the experience of a lifetime!

Samuel G. Nicacio

Mass Intentions for the Closing Papal Mass with Pope Benedict XVI

Dear friends, family and parishioners,

As we prepare for the five mile pilgrimage walk to Cuatro Vientes (Four Winds airfield) for our vigil prayer service tonight, Adoration, and the closing papal Mass on Sunday, we ask for any intentions that you would like for us to offer up on your behalf. Feel free to comment on this post with your intentions.

peace,
larry

Fear and Inspiration

When we arrived in Madrid I was feeling overwhelmed. The crowds, the heat, the fear in watching my daughter nearly being crushed while attempting to (along with Kristin) get food at McDonald's for 8 of us that were attempting to be a part of the opening Mass. Truly, if she had lifted her legs off the ground she would not have fallen...that is how tight that crowd was...

WYD Crowds waiting for the Opening Mass to begin

The following day we attended a Mass that was overcrowded, hot, and not easily understood (Bishop Rollie from the Philippines). I just wasn't sure I would find the intimate, growing experience that I was looking forward to in this Pilgrimage. Yesterday, a few of our group went to the Love and Life Center for catechesis and Mass.

Love and Life Center (English speaking center)

There were 15,000 people and it was the intimate experience I had been looking for.  The Archbishop from New York (Archbishop Timothy Dolan) gave the talk focusing on evangelism.  He shared his humor, his experience and his commitment to sharing the faith.  During the actual Mass there was clapping as if to say AMEN, but when it came time for Communion, there was such a hush it was inspirational to see how seriously 15,000 people were taking this part of their faith. It really re-energized my spirit and made me feel more prepared for the days to come. God truly knows what I need and when I need it.

Laura

Theology of the Body

I have a few things I would like to share; meeting the founder of Project Rachel and attending the Theology of the body talk.

Vicky Thorn was and is the founder of Project Rachel. She is so sweet and so sincere in her talks. She wants everyone to know what the doctors and the teachers of sex education don't tell us. One of the most exciting things I learned (maybe some of you know this) was that within the first 24 hours of a baby's life a mother can be blindfolded and been able to pick out their child from their scent. A father can do the same thing and pick out their child by feeling the back of the hand. To me it showed how different the man and woman are. It also showed me how bonded the mother and father are to their own child. The mother has that special nurturing nature and the father has a protective/tactile nature. It's a special thing when you really think about it.

Not only did I find the previous fact interesting I also discovered how much the father changes through out his wife's pregnancy as well. I'm sure most mothers know how the father changes through the 9 months but to me I had no idea. They start to become protective in a very sincere way, they start to do more things and prepare for the new life they are about to bring to the world, they start getting sickness just like the mothers, and he also starts to gain weight and other issues. To me it's like the mother and father are going through changes so they can prepare themselves. Not only do they go through physical changes they go through emotional changes. The reality of knowing that you are about to have responsibility for a child really makes you change your thoughts on things. How am I going to raise this child in the Catholic faith? How do I raise my child in the world we live in now? Will I be a good parent? Will I make the right choices for my new family? and even more.

These were my favorite parts of the Project Rachel talk. The things that stuck out most to me.

Now, last but not the least I got to see my favorite Theology of body speaker. His name is Jason Everette. I even got to sit right in front of him in the second row. I got so happy and excited. And took many pictures. There were 3 other speakers including Vicky Thorn. But I admit I payed the most attention to Jason's talk.

The biggest thing I got out the talk was when he talked about how guys are not living up to their nature. At least that's what it sounded like to me.

Men these days don't take the opportunity to initiate love to women. This meant that guys aren't taking the first step to get to a woman's heart. They expect the women to make the first move so he can go along for the ride until it stops. Girls are very subtle, I know this first hand, and when girls like me try to talk to a guy and try to see if they like me I come off as really subtle and they have no clue. Guy are more blunt and straight forward with it. It only makes sense that guys should make the first step to initiate love. Not to mention their protective nature and provider. And when I say "..take the first step" it doesn't have to mean the guy has to bluntly say will you go out with me, but to just get to know them on his own time. Like holding the door open, taking their coats, going to adoration together, or something small and seeing how that goes. The main point Jason was saying is that girls shouldn't have to initiate love first because we, girls, are waiting to give our love and affection to people.

Oh one last thing during the first 6 weeks of the baby's life the father becomes very nurturing. he starts taking care of the baby and the wife in a way that is different from their protective nature. So pretty much the mothers get a great 6 weeks after the baby is born and the the men return to their natural selves.

This is what I got the most from his talk and loved every second of it. I understand guys in a better way and know that I really shouldn't take things personally. (though I don't know why it took me this long to realize all of it. I guess it's just from the experience from being at WYD with all the Catholics from around the world.)

God Bless,

Can't wait to home!

Gabbie Reiser

I Saw...The Pope!

What a life changing experience this pilgrimage has been. Us pilgrims have been blessed and given the opportunity to see amazing cathedrals, castles, buildings, and fountains. Some of the greatest moments however came from meeting new people from all over the world, finding each other in tremendous amounts of people, and seeing people unexpectedly. For those of you who know Sarah and Tuan who helped with Life Teen last year, we ended up being able to see and talk to them as they were there with a group from Seattle. This may not seem too exciting, but seeing two certain people out of a group of over 500,000 is quite special.

Before the Opening Mass

                                      

Last night, I was able to attend a Eucharistic healing session at the Love and Life center (the English speaking center for pilgrims) along with about eight other pilgrims from our group. The spiritual experience was the best I have had so far on this trip. We were among about 10,000 other pilgrims all worshiping together. When the Blessed Sacrament entered the stadium, you would have been able to hear a pin drop. All 10,000 or so pilgrims were dead silent, kneeling and praying. I thought that it would be difficult to have an intimate time with God in such a large setting with so many people, but fortunately I was proven wrong.

During adoration

                                     
Seeing so many people excited to express their faith has been awesome, however it has created a problem that we have had a hard time dealing with; crowds. Until you are here, you don't realize how many people there actually are. After the opening mass, our group decided we would try to avoid large crowds at all costs mainly for safety purposes, which unfortunately meant that we skipped greeting the Pope into Madrid. I was a bit sad that I wasn't able to see the Pope arrive. This morning however, I was awoken in my hotel room by tons of sirens outside on the street. I looked off my balcony to find hundreds of pilgrims lining the blocked off street below. There were a bunch of police officers on motorcycles and in cars, and there was a helicopter overhead. I realized it could only mean one thing; the Pope was coming! I grabbed my camera and rushed downstairs in my pajamas. A couple minutes after I got to the sidewalk, Pope Benedict XVI drove by less than 10 feet from me. I was so excited that I got to witness this, especially since I wasn't beeing pushed up against a wall by a huge crowd!

THE POPE!

I hope everything's going well in the 'Couve!

God Bless,
Devon Zahm

Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati

This afternoon, WYD pilgrims from the Archdiocese of Seattle gathered together with Archbishop Sartain for a time of prayer and reflection on Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati. Archbishop shared with us a wonderful history of Pier Giorgio's brief life on earth and his personal devotion to Pier Giorgio since he was in seminary in Rome. It was a great testimony to a modern figure (on his way to sainthood) and an example of living our lives of faith in service to others.


The highlight of the gathering was the presence of Pier Giorgio's niece, Wanda Gawronska. She even brought with her a relic, Pier Giorgio's hiking pick axe. It was great to actually meet a family member of Blessed Pier Giorgio. For some of us, that was the second encounter of a relative of a Saint during our pilgrimage (the first happened in Fatima in meeting relatives of Lucia).


For more information on Blessed Pier, go here http://www.frassatiusa.org/

We actually held Pier Giorgio's pick axe today!

Casual walk through Buen Retiro Park

Karen and I walked through Buen Retiro Park the other day where we enjoyed beautiful park landscapes as well as the thousands of European pilgrims (there seemed to be an significant number of non-English speaking pilgrims there). The park felt similar to my experience at Central Park in New York with expansive open spaces filled with beautiful trees and greenery, sans the "New York Aroma" and crime :) .




Buen Retiro Park is a large park, from what I understand to be about 300 acres. The park is at the edge of the city center, a bit of a walk from where we are staying and is also very close to the Prado Museum (I hope pilgrims in our group blogs about our amazing tour of the Prado Museum today - hint, hint). There were plenty of beautiful sculptures and monuments around the park and we took several pictures to share with those who couldn't come with us.

In the park we also found a lively lake filled with plenty of pilgrims rowing around in boats and swimming in their bathing suits, or the like. At one point we witnessed nearly half the pilgrims in the lake singing a chant (we think they were French). What a wonderful experience, for sure! I would imagine this lake would be peaceful during a time where hundreds of thousands of pilgrims weren't visiting. 

Peace to you all. Thank you for your prayers!

Mike Wright

Appreciation

I believe that yesterday was one of the best days of the trip for many of us pilgrims.  Even though we did not make it to the catechetical session, the rest of the day's events made up for it.  The Love and Life Center, which is the center for all English speaking pilgrims, is full of life and people who are on fire about their faith.  A group of us (Karen, Mike, Devon, Laura, Gabbie, Carla, my mom and I) had to wait outside for about an hour in order to be let in for some of the events. And while many would think that waiting in the hot Madrid sun for that long would be terrible, it was a truly beautiful experience. We talked to people from all over the United States and even the world.  We traded trinkets like bracelets, buttons and key-chains.  Many of us came away with gifts from groups from Malaysia, Australia, and Canada. Cheers were constantly heard between groups across the square outside the Love and Life Center. The talks in the center have been wonderful with speakers who are full of life and are very excited about being Catholic.

With all that said, I have to admit that the best part of the day for me and for most of people in the group I was with all day was when we finished lunch and walked outside to find an elderly woman passing us.  She stopped when she saw us and asked in very rapid Spanish where we were from.  With our broken Spanish, we were able to hold a brief conversation.  As she was leaving, she said something to the effect of  "Thank you for bringing God to Spain.  I love that the Christians are here.  Welcome to Madrid!"

Emily Barbieri

Random Sightings of God

Tuesday, August 16th, we gathered at the Love and Life center sponsored by the Knights of Columbus and the Sisters of Life.  We are filled with joy to see all the American flags among our brothers and sisters from Canada, Guam, Britain, South Africa, Australia, to name a few. 

Love and Life Center at WYD Madrid

Our gathering started with a Cajun band from Louisiana and then presentation from Fr. Robert Barron on The Catholicism Project, a Global Perspective. www.CatholicismSeries.com.  FYI, St. Joes will participate in the series as part of the Adult Faith Formation at the first of the year.

Your Pilgrim
Karen Wright         

Madrid - Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

First full day in Madrid after getting in last night. Today is a 'free' day as the full festivities of World Youth Day begin in earnest with the opening Mass at Cibeles Square on Tuesday.

We attended Mass at the Almudena Cathedral of Madrid (yet another awesome Cathedral!). The entire Mass was in Spanish, so it was difficult to understand the content for us non-Spanish speaking pilgrims; however, we were able to follow the Mass and we knew when to sit and stand, kneel and bow. It was interesting to listen closely to the Mass responses and see how they differed from the U.S. translation.

Side Altar at Catedral Nuestra Senora De La Almudena

Afterwards, we enjoyed a stroll along the pedestrian only plazas. So many pilgrims are streaming into Madrid now. We saw and greeted groups from Great Britain, the Philippines, Japan, Cuba, France, Australia, fellow Americans and Canada.

Segovia - Tomb of St. John of the Cross

Sunday, August 14th - We made a day trip to Segovia, site of an ancient Roman aqueduct, another beautiful cathedral and a Disney-like castle (Alcazar).

Roman Aqueduct (no longer in use)

Catedral Santa Maria de Segovia

Alcazar Castle

In the afternoon, we made our way down to the tomb of St. John of the Cross (Santo Juan de la Cruz). It was amazing to celebrate Sunday Mass in the chapel of his tomb. We even had another pilgrim group from Syracuse, NY join us.

Tomb of St. John of the Cross

Like St. John of the Cross, we are called to seek God and even find him in the darkest times of our lives.

The road to Madrid continues... World Youth Day here we come!

Avila - Birthplace of St. Teresa

Our day in Avila was wonderful. It is such a beautiful town with the castle and cathedral sitting atop the hill. We began our tour at the monastery of St. Theresa of Avila.  What a powerful testament to our faith with her willingness to serve the Lord in the same place for 20 years.  I thought it was very interesting that her call to reform the Carmalite order was born of a mid-life crisis.  She saw the image of Christ being scourged at the pillar and it brought her to tears.  She then knew she was Theresa of Jesus.  She, with the help of St. John of the Cross went on to reform the Carmalites to a well respected and a more strict adherence to the original founder's rule.  So, mid-life crisis isn't as bad as it may seem! If our hearts are really with Jesus, he will bring us to our greatest potential.  And on a smaller note, the sangria in Salamanca is awesome!!! On our way to Segovia!  Linda and Kristin

World Youth Day Pilgrims (including our friends from New York)

Carla and Gabbie with Missionaries of Charity Visiting Convent of St. Teresa of Avila

From Fatima to Salamanca

So yesterday we took a five hour drive east and left Portugal and entered Espana! Too bad we didn't get a stamp on our passport though....

The bus comfortably transported all 60 of us pilgrims (three combined groups including two groups from New York and St. Joseph) in air conditioning. The bus from Lisbon did not have AC, so it was nice to be comfortable for the long ride over.

After we checked in to our Hotel Monterrey in Salamanca, we began exploring the Plaza Mayor, the Universidad and visited several churches including St. Esteban, Nuevo Catedral and Church of the Holy Spirit. Amazing and privileged to see these venerable structures of the faith and in the presence of so much history.

Fr. Gary, Veronica, Sarah, Michael in front of Nuevo Catedral

After a simple dinner back at the hotel, we again explored the vibrant life night of the Plaza Mayor and paseo. It was amazing how many people were out and about enjoying the evening, having tapas, hanging out in the square. Several other groups of World Youth Day pilgrims were present: groups from Canada, Great Britain, and USA. Cheers and chants broke out spontaneously in the plaza as young people gathered to celebrate and revel in the experience that is World Youth Day. If this is a foretaste of events to come, watch out! There was a joy and revelry about the Plaza Mayor. Teens and young adults being in the moment and experiencing the new found camaraderie of fellow pilgrims.

The internet access is a bit haphazard here, so I will try to post more later. On to a day trip to the birthplace of St. Teresa of Avila. God bless!

God Sightings in Fatima

From Kristin B...
What an amazing day!  There were so many beautiful experiences. It started with a tour of the Fatima museum. I loved seeing the crown that is used to crown Mary. Portuguese women gave their wedding rings and jewels to adorn the crown. Also, the bullet that was used to shoot Blessed Pope John Paul II was inserted in the crown as well.

The highlight of the evening was when several pilgrims participated in the rosary walk on our knees. The path began at the top of the hill in the plaza. As it slowly descended toward the Apparition Chapel (~200 yards downhill), many pilgrims while praying the rosary 'walked' down the hill on their knees and some on their hands and knees. In the background, the evening candlelight rosary and procession was occurring. We slowly, but surely made our way through the crowds on the marble (granite?) path. It was difficult at times to focus on the praying of the Rosary b/c of the excruciating pain shooting from our knees. But many of us persevered and finished the path all the way back up the hill. We cried and hugged as each pilgrim completed their prayer and knee walk. Words cannot express the emotions of this prayer experience!

The Longest Day

Layover (literally!) in Paris!

We left St. Joseph's at 6:30AM on Tuesday morning and finally settled into our hotel here in Fatima at 5:30pm on Wednesday. The longest day of travel was a mixture of prayer, great conversation, catching a few minutes of sleep here and there on planes and buses and in airports. But we arrived safe and sound and had Mass and dinner here at the hotel. It is a short walk to the shrine from here.

Emily B. and Fr. Gary

After dinner we gathered at 9:30pm last night with thousands of other pilgrims for the Rosary and a moving candlelight procession. We had the great privilege of having four of our pilgrims leading the prayer and procession. Dan Graves and Michael Smith helped carry the statue of the Blessed Virgin in procession and Gabbie Reiser and Carla Albaladejo led decades of the rosary. It was an amazing experience of the gathering of the universal church with people from all over the world praying the rosary in their native tongue. The longest day concluded with grateful prayer for our safe arrival and this most amazing place of faith.

Candlelight Procession and Rosary

God Bless,
Fr. Gary

The Journey Begins...

Bright and early the pilgrims descended upon St. Joseph parish at 6 AM (really early for some of us night owls!) After a wonderful travel prayer led by Fr. Gary, we headed north to SeaTac. Without incident, we were pampered by Malek, Michael and Jerry with a wonderful breakfast service and hospitality. Arrived at SeaTac four hours early as we patiently await our flight to Paris and then to Lisbon. Fatima, here we come!

Lucas catching some zzzzzsssss.

Malek, Michael and Jerry - Thanks for the awesome hospitality!

The Eve of our Departure

I have mixed feelings this evening about our departure for Europe tomorrow. I dropped off my family at the airport today because they are heading to Michigan to visit with family while I'm away at World Youth Day. I wish they were joining me on this pilgrimage, but I also know the reality of traveling with a five year old and the challenges that might bring.

I am excited and a bit stressed about all the last minute details and getting everything in order, e.g. passports, packing, money, getting up super early, etc. But I also know that this will be a very special faith journey that will culminate with a wonderful Mass with Pope Benedict XVI in just under a fortnight.

I pray for grace, discernment and vocation. I have hope for the young Church and pray for conversion of a multitude of hearts for Jesus. I look forward to a spiritual journey full of awe and wonder, of deep prayer and reflection. And most of all, I look forward to community with the universal Church on a scale that I have never before experienced.

Please keep us in your prayers for a safe journey to Portugal and Fatima tomorrow. Blessings to all!

Prayer for Young People

Prayer for Young People
(as they prepare for and travel to the World Youth Day)

Lord, lead me along the path of your love and keep me faithful to the journey I make.
With the fire of your Spirit illumine the road I travel and help me up when I stumble and fall.
With your Word of truth make me a faithful pilgrim and help me to choose what is right and just and true.
From your heart of love give me the grace I need to love my fellow pilgrims and to share with them your peace.
With the power of your cross teach me to pour out myself in service of the poor, that my life might be filled with your love.
From the table of your Word and your Body and Blood, nourish me with food that gives life.
Lead my steps safely along your path and gather me in with all your sons and daughters, together with our Holy Father, and all who make their way to you and the life you promise.
Grant this and all good things through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

World Youth Day Sending Mass

Last night at the 5:30 PM Mass, Fr. Gary spoke about drawing closer to God in a personal way. For centuries, the invitation from Jesus has been to draw closer to him as he invited Peter to step out of the boat onto the water and come walk to him. And yet it is our lack of faith and trust that gets in the way and we falter, we fall. Our late Pope John Paul II (the Great) invited youth to "Be Not Afraid"; to take that leap of faith in their lives in their relationship with God, the Church and the world. Too much to unpack in this simple blog!

Fr. Gary said some great words of Thanksgiving to our seminarians, Malek and Michael as they soon depart back to their respective seminaries. What a blessing to have such wonderful young men in formation for the priesthood! I look forward to the day of both of their ordinations, God-willing.

The hospitality and meeting after Mass was a bit chaotic for me, but I think that's the ARRANGER in me as well. Lots of moving parts and juggling/orchestrating all the last minute details/questions before we depart early on Tuesday morning.

So 24 hours before departure and off we go to Lisbon via Paris via Seattle. It's going to be a great journey!

Pilgrim Prayer

Lord God,
We travel in weakness, hoping to find strength,
We travel with sickness, hoping to find health.
We journey in confusion, seeking peace,
We journey in doubt, seeking true faith.
We come carrying despair, looking for hope,
We come unready.
We come alone.
We come together.
Seeking to find Jesus, your living Word.
Amen.


There will be a World Youth Day Sending Mass tonight at St. Joseph - 5:30 PM. Join us as we are sent on mission for this special faith journey.

8 Days 'til we leave for Portugal/Spain!

Welcome to the St. Joseph World Youth Day pilgrims' blog. I've never started a blog before, so these musings and meanderings should be a journey in and of itself.

Please pray for our 30 pilgrims as we will also keep you in our prayers. Pray for conversion, vocation, discernment and spiritual enrichment for all who take part on this faith journey.