VATICAN CORNER
Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims from around the world came to Krakow, Poland joining the native Polish youth July 26th through July 31st, 2016 for the Catholic event know as World Youth Day. It is a huge youth encounter focused on faith and is often referred to as the “Catholic Woodstock”. Our own Director of Faith Formation Glenda Aragón and her son Mark along with a group from our Oakland Diocese headed by Father Ken Sales traveled to Poland and attended. The event takes place every two or three years in a different country and is open to all who want to take part in a festive encounter where young people centered on Jesus Christ come and meet. They can deepen their faith and grow closer to Christ through prayer and the sacraments. It began in 1984 with an invitation from Pope John Paul II to the youth. This is the first time since his death that the event was celebrated in his native country, and his image and teachings were honored. The event with its several million people had ceremonies, shows, music, prayers, rain, 80 degree temperatures, reconciliation opportunities, catechetical sessions, a walking pilgrimage, a vigil, a Mass, outdoor sleeping and food shortages. St. Faustina the Polish nun and founder of the Divine Mercy was honored. Pope Francis came to the celebration giving a welcoming address, presided over the evening vigil and address the youth at the closing ceremony. An international team of volunteers provided simultaneous translations of the Pope’s speeches and homilies into nine languages that could be heard on the participants’ small portable radios and IPhones. Pope Francis said “Dear young people, we didn’t come into this world to “vegetate”, to take it easy, to make our lives a comfortable sofa to fall asleep on. No we came for another reason: to leave a mark.” We must not confuse happiness with comfort. Jesus was the ultimate risk-taker and never settled for security. “Following Jesus demands a good dose of courage, a readiness to trade in the sofa for a pair of walking shoes and to set out on new and uncharted paths. We must follow “the path of the ‘craziness’ of our God, who teaches us to encounter him in the hungry, the thirsty, the naked, the sick, the friend in trouble, the prisoner, the refugee and the migrant, and our neighbors who feel abandoned. Wherever our lives take us, we must actively share the faith with those around us. Our Glenda said it was an “amazing experience”, and one of the hardest but one of the best World Youth Days she has attended.
Sources: cruxnow.com, worldyouthday.com, theguardian.com, ncronline.org