Utah pilgrims return from World Youth Day in Lisbon with renewed commitment to the Catholic faith
SALT LAKE CITY — A group of 29 delegates from the Diocese of Salt Lake City have returned from World Youth Day celebrations in Lisbon, Portugal. The delegates were from the parishes of the Cathedral of the Madeleine and Our Lady of Guadalupe, both in Salt Lake City; St. Joseph the Worker in West Jordan; St. Mary of the Assumption in Park City and St. Thomas Aquinas in Logan. Bishop Oscar A. Solis accompanied the group.
Another group from St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Orem attended WYD separately.
The delegates left Utah July 29 and returned Aug. 8. During the World Youth Day celebration, which had as its theme “Mary arose and went with haste,” the Utah delegation enjoyed a Mass with Pope Francis, rise up encounters, concerts, a youth festival and other events.
Virginia Hernandez, 23, a parishioner at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in Logan, wanted to go to World Youth Day as soon as she heard about it.
“I thought it would be amazing to go to WYD and to meet other youth from all over the world that are Catholic as well, because sometimes living in Utah you can feel a little alone because mostly the population is Mormon,” she said. “Also, I think I really wanted to revive my faith, revive that relationship I have with Jesus and make it grow more.”
Hernandez, a Utah State University student living on a very tight budget, thought the cost would prevent her from attending WYD. However, donations from some parishioners and results of the youths’ fundraising efforts ensured that nine young people from St. Thomas Aquinas Parish were able to go.
“I was really shocked,” Hernandez said. “I thought, ‘That’s what happens when you leave it in God’s hands and have a lot of faith,’ but he really wanted us to go. It was our time. He opened the doors for each and every one of us. I realized that when you put all of your trust in God everything just turns out good because it’s his will.”
The trip had its difficulties. The intense heat and the large amount of walking required were difficult, but they taught some valuable lessons, Hernandez said.
“I realized when you open yourself to God and give yourself up to others and not really worry about yourself, it was just beautiful,” she said. “I experienced that with all the youth around me; we all helped each other out. It made me realize that coming back here how much I needed to change, how much I wasn’t really listening to God and what he was trying to tell me. So, I felt that I really needed to listen at WYD to what he was trying to tell me. I have been trying to improve on that and it makes me feel better as a person.”
The pilgrimage of John Shackelford, a St. Mary of the Assumption parishioner, was sponsored by his parish. In September he will give a presentation on his trip. Shackelford, 24, plans to join the Franciscan Order next year and embarked on the pilgrimage because he wanted to experience the universal Church, he said.
“There’s more to the Catholic Church than what’s in Utah and more to it than what exists in the United States, so I was excited to see the youth from all over the world and discover what their own faith is like,” he said.
He also wanted to gather some feedback about World Youth Day from young people from all across the globe. He received a variety of responses to the questions he asked, which included if they had a message to share with other youth and if they felt there was a disconnect between the Church and the youth, he said, adding that most of those he spoke with were excited to see the pope and do not think there is a disconnect.
“Sometimes the youth forget why faith is important, especially when they have to focus on being successful, family, so it’s important for them to ground themselves in faith,” Shackelford said.
Shackelford was particularly moved by the Saturday night vigil, which included Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament with 1.5 million people. Prior to that there was a lot of noise and commotion in the 100-degree heat, he said, but then, “It was incredible to see everyone fall silent for Adoration.”
Following their time in Lisbon, the Diocese of Salt Lake City delegates visited Fatima. Hernandez was touched by the experience. ‘It was really beautiful,” she said. “I just felt a very big presence of Our Lady there, that she was there with us. I think it was really beautiful, being able to experience that.”
The pilgrimage for the group from St. Francis of Assisi Parish was organized through the Neocatechumenal Way, an international Catholic organization dedicated to Christian formation.
Marlene Lopez, 23, one of the participants from St. Francis of Assisi, said the pilgrimage helped her recognize she wasn’t putting God first in her life.
“I only wanted him whenever it was most convenient for me,” she said, but after the pilgrimage, “I felt like I repented and was putting God first. For me I felt like I need to do more, I need to help more in the community. I need to do more things in my church and to put God first in my life.”
The pilgrims’ efforts to humble themselves were reinforced by staying in places such as schools and gyms and eating simple meals, she said, noting that the pilgrimage mirrored what life is like for many people.
“You’re going to have downs, you’re going to have ups, but humble yourself and be grateful in everything you have and everything that God gives you,” she said. “If you sleep on the floor, if you don’t have a blanket or a place to shower, God is always there.”
Bishop Solis shared some thoughts about his experience of accompanying the youth to World Youth Day.
“It was a very faith-filled and joy-filled experience being with young men and women and teenagers from all over the world,” he said. “The presence of all those young men and women from all the churches, from all parts of the world is a manifestation of the universality of the Catholic Church, the diversity that constitutes our Church. It is a very inspiring and enriching experience. It reveals that the people are filled with faith and love.”
“All the activities that I shared with them were quite amazing,” he continued. “To see a faith that is alive, a faith that is prayerful, a faith that is joyful and a faith that enlivens their life in the Church – it fills you with hope. The message of the Holy Father is so very relevant and hits the nail on the head. He recognized their vitality, their faith in God, their enthusiasm and told them to see to it that they reflect the Church. It is for all, and he expressed the word ‘Totus’ so many times – that everyone is welcome, the young and the old, the rich and the poor, the black and white, the good and the bad. It’s a beautiful message of inclusivity, that the love of God is inclusive and welcoming, and it should be a source of joy and faith.”
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