find World Youth Day pilgrimage to Spain, Portugal ... - The Leaven

4 SPECIAL ISSUETHE LEAVEN • SEPTEMBER 16, 2011THE LEAVEN • SEPTEMBER 16, 2011SPECIAL ISSUE5Continued from previous page“Experiencing and witnessingthat over one million youth,young adults, and adultsbelieve in one person, thatis Jesus Christ. Also, how wegrew as a family in a shortamount of time.””- Melissa Mears, 29, SacredHeart Parish, Emporia“Being a college student, Ioften find myself surroundedby people who do not sharemy own Catholic beliefs andmorals. This pilgrimage toWYD and being surroundedby a million other youngpeople humbling themselvesbefore the Blessed Sacramenthas reaffirmed my own faithand has given me courage tostand firm in my faith at KU.”- Nick Mourlam, 20,St. Lawrence CatholicCampus Center“I was able to concentrateon discernment and, Godwilling, my future priesthoodin Christ through ourMost Holy Mother, while atthe same time offering toMary many of my family andfriends, which was extremelyprofound to me. I knewthat she held them with herImmaculate sorrowful heartdrawing them always closerto her Son. That gives me alot of peace!”- Thomas Vehige, Theology I,Sacred Heart Parish, Emporia“There were so many graces,big and small, present on thistrip. I think the biggest thingfor me was how apparentGod showed himself to me inthe Eucharist. I experienced aburning for him that I haven’tfelt in years and then,after receiving him,I cannot describe the aweI experienced.”- Teresa Soboleski, 22,St. Paul Parish, Olathe“By far, my favorite experiencewas having the amazingopportunity to serve Massin two cathedrals in Madrid.That was such an honor. Anda group of three others [andme] carrying”Josh R. up theMetro stairway.”- Jeremy Hurla, 16,Mother Teresa Parish, TopekaIf the ruby slippersdidn’t get the messageacross, thebright blue T-shirtsthe pilgrims woreprobably did: “Ya noestamos en Kansas”No, to paraphrase a linefrom the Sunflower State’smost famous fictional character:They weren’t in Kansasanymore.Carrying little more thana carry-on bag, a group of 67pilgrims (teens, young adults,seminarians, chaperones, andpriests) left the archdiocese onAug. 11 for a journey of faith— and a week of activities atthe 11th World Youth Day, heldfrom Aug. 15 to 21.The Kansas pilgrims joinedmore than 500,000 Catholicsfrom 100-plus countries at theevent, who were themselvesjoined by more than 1.5 millionSpaniards for the papal vigiland Mass Aug. 20 to 21.No party, no disco, nofoolin’ aroundPilgrims — or, in Spanish,peregrinos — are people whojourney a long distance to a sacredplace as an act of religiousdevotion.And this was definitely apilgrimage, not a vacation,said Rick Cheek, co-consultantfor the archdiocesan office ofevangelization and Catholicyouth formation, and it wouldchallenge the pilgrims — notonly spiritually, but mentallyand physically, as well.And challenged they were— by the heat, the miles ofwalking, the blisters, the wind,the rain, the huge crowds, thelack of sleep and the neverendingchanges in plans. Therewere encounters with grace,however, both expected (sacraments)and unexpected.Spain was not Kansas —from the different kind of heatto the much later meal times:lunch at 2 p.m. and dinner at10 p.m. Although accommodationsat a youth hostel wherethey first stayed seemed rusticand cramped, it was plushin comparison to what theywould experience later.Toto does ToledoThe pilgrims landed in acountry rich in saints threedays prior to the start of WorldYouth Day events. They metup with Archbishop Joseph F.Naumann almost immediately,and made a beeline from thereto the stomping grounds of theHoly Toledo!(Segovia, Avila and Fatima, too)Mother Teresa of Calcutta parishionerAustin Ruddy looks out overthe city of Toledo during one of hisgroup’s many pilgrimages.Archdiocesan seminarian NathanHaverland, outside the Cathedral ofSan Salvador in Avila, joined otherseminarians in walking the town ofAvila barefoot in honor of St. Teresa.event’s two patron saints —St. John of the Cross and St.Teresa of Avila — in Segovia,Toledo and Avila.Their first stop was Segovia,known for its well-preservedRoman aqueduct, majesticcastle and towering cathedral.There, the pilgrims attendedMass in a chapel at an ancientDominican convent and prayedthe Liturgy of the Hours at thetomb of St. John of the Cross, aspiritual master known for hisgreat insights into suffering.Next, they visited Toledo,the former capital of Spain,which boasts a historic castle,cathedral and collection of ElGreco paintings. Saint Johnof the Cross wrote some of hisgreatest spiritual works whileimprisoned in that city in 1577.Finally, they stopped inAvila, the home of the greatCarmelite reformer and spiritualmaster, St. Teresa of Avila.They prayed at the very placewhere, on the solemnity of theAssumption many years before,the doctor of the church experiencedher spiritual visions.Having been fortified bythese spiritual experiences,the Kansas pilgrims took a stepdown in the world and settledinto — or rather, onto, theirnew accommodations: thehard, wooden floor of an nonair-conditionedgym. Joiningthem were 40 English-speakingpilgrims from Australia, Englandand other countries.They didn’t complain, however.They, at least, had warm,indoor showers. A group fromNew York shared six portableoutdoor showers with 800other pilgrims.The friendly invasionThe friendly invasion hadtaken over every inch of Madrid.The streets were throngedwith joyful pilgrims, beltingout hymns, cheers and chantsin a babble of languages. TheKansas pilgrims took to thestreets with their state andAmerican flags held high —and a dainty pair of ruby slipperson a pole leading the way.The crowds were larger thananyone ever anticipated. Infact, the streets were so packedthat the archdiocesan groupcouldn’t even make its wayto the opening Mass on Aug.16. It soon became clear thatthere was no hope of seeingthe opening Mass, even from adistance, or the papal welcomeand the Stations of the Cross atthe Plaza de Cibeles.With no assigned areasfor groups, tens of thousandsof pilgrims were jostling andvying for a spot. The KansasContinued on next pagecontingent finally found aspot where they could catchat least a glimpse of the eventson a huge screen. But then,for unknown reasons, a largedump truck moved through thecrowd and parked in front ofthem, blocking even that view.At that point, group leadersRick Cheek and Father MitchelZimmerman, archdiocesanvocations director, made acommand decision. The groupwould abandon the futile effortto attend the opening Mass andhead instead to the openingsession at the Love and LifeCenter, an English-speakingcatechesis site sponsored bythe Knights of Columbus andhosted by the Sisters of Lifefrom New York City. There,the pilgrims attended Mass fortheir group that evening.As they were leaving thepapal opening Mass, however,two Spanish-speaking pilgrimscommented on the ruby slippersthat heralded the progressof the archdiocesan pilgrims.“Los zapatos, por qué?”(“Why the shoes?”) asked one.The other was impatientwith his compatriot’s ignorance.“Dorothy!” he exclaimed, asif it was obvious.‘Pilgrim up,’ KansansThe days following theopening Mass began withmorning catechetical sessionsled by bishops from around theworld. One of the highlightsof the sessions was a presentationby Archbishop TimothyDolan of New York, who mixedhumor, history and the Gospelwith the World Youth Daytheme of being “planted andbuilt up in Christ, firm in thefaith.”But both blessings and challengescontinued to shower thepilgrims as the week continued.Cheek challenged them to“offer it up,” and indeed theyoffered up and “pilgrimed” upin the face of difficulties anddisappointments. Four fellowpilgrims, for example, formeda team of Sherpas for 16-yearoldJosh Ruoff, each time thewheelchair-bound youth fromMother Teresa of Calcutta Parishin Topeka encountered oneof the many staircases.But Friday evening foundthe group enjoying a WorldYouth Day tradition — aprofoundly moving experienceof the Stations of the Cross.The pilgrims sat in silence andprayer as they watched theWorld Youth Day cross travelfrom station to station — actually,elaborately decoratedfloats called “pasos” — asmeditations were read andgrand orchestral pieces wereplayed.The ‘grim’ in pilgrimOn Saturday, the pilgrimstravelled to Cuatro VientosAirfield for the final events ofWorld Youth Day, an eveningvigil with the Holy Fatherunder the stars and a closingMass on Sunday.Seminarian Daniel Schmitz, in his third year of theology at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in St. Louis, finds a quiet place topray the Liturgy of the Hours during a trip to Segovia.One of the hottest days ofMadrid’s entire summer, theWorld Youth Day pilgrimsloaded the Metro systembeyond capacity. Upon arriving,the Kansas pilgrims weregreeted with a breathtakingview of the vast crowd fillingCuatro Vientos. Some pilgrimscommented that it looked likea massive refugee camp.This eventually became acause of frustration, however.Volunteers and security toldthe Kansans that the “reserved”section to which theyhad been assigned was alreadyfull and they’d have to movemore than a quarter of a mileaway to find a new place —bare ground covered by strawand bordered by gravel accessroads.Many had prayed for relieffrom the unrelenting sun —and they got their prayersanswered in spades. Shortlyafter the pope arrived and beganthe vigil, a sudden stormwith rain, lightning and strongwinds pummeled Cuatro Vientosand brought the liturgy toa sudden stop. Pope Benedictand hundreds of bishops anddignitaries remained on thestage while at least a millionpilgrims tried to shelter themselvesand prevent their gearfrom being blown away.After no worse than somedamage to adoration tents,the storm departed and thevigil recommenced. Severalof the seminarians noted thatwhen the Eucharist was finallyexposed for adoration, therain let up and held off untilBenediction was complete.According to one pilgrim,one of the most inspirationalmoments of World Youth Daywas when a sea of exhaustedand wet pilgrims knelt insilent prayer with the HolyFather in adoration of theBlessed Sacrament.“Experiencing the silencewith one million people fromaround the world, kneelingin prayer in adoration beforeChrist the king, spoke louderto me than any words evercould,” said Kate Ruoff, ofMother Teresa Parish.Perhaps the most disappointingmoment to be “offeredup” was an announcementSunday morning prior tothe papal Mass.Due to the storms and acrowd number well abovethe organizers’ estimates, theEucharist had been removedfrom the adoration chapelsovernight for safety andsecurity reasons. Also, Communionfrom the papal Masswould be available only toa small number of people,including concelebrants and afew sections of pilgrims closestto the altar.The announcement, madein multiple languages, encouragedpilgrims to stay for thepapal Mass and offer up thisdisappointment as a “sacrificefor the Holy Father,” andthen to find another Mass thatevening in Madrid to receiveCommunion.“Perhaps our inability toreceive the Eucharist at [thepapal] Mass today will helpus realize how precious theEucharist is, and how oftenwe can take [the Eucharist]for granted,” said ArchbishopNaumann during a reflectionfollowing an afternoon Communionservice.Of apparitionsand exhaustionAlthough the Kansas pilgrimswere already exhausted,there was one last place tovisit: Fatima, Portugal.Although the Marian apparitionsite was not originallya part of the pilgrimage, achange in plans was madewhen it was discovered thegroup would be flying out ofLisbon, which is not far fromFatima.Tucked away in a corner ofrocky real estate, Fatima hasbeen built up into a quiet placefor peaceful prayer. It washere in 1917 that the BlessedMother appeared to threeshepherd children. Today, asthen, the Virgin Mary touchesthe lives of people at Fatima.The bus journey fromMadrid to Fatima took muchlonger than expected — 10hours — leaving the pilgrimsonly two-and-a-half hours tovisit, pray, souvenir shop andattend Mass. There, they sawthe jeweled Marian crowncontaining a bullet removedfrom Blessed Pope John Paul IIafter the assassination attempton his life in 1981. He creditedOur Lady of Fatima for savinghis life that day.Providentially, it just sohappened the day of thevisit was the memorial of theQueenship of Mary.Many of the Kansas pilgrimsdecided, despite theirfatigue, to do the traditionalwalk on their knees aroundthe Chapel of Apparitions.“Walking the distance onmy knees was not an easytask, but it was so humbling tobe on the ground [where theapparition took place],” said17-year-old Mary Khadivi, ofHoly Trinity Parish in Lenexa.“I thought of how Jesus waslooked down upon all his life,and the crosses that Christianshave to bear.”No place like homeDue to the lateness of theirarrival in Lisbon and poordirections for the bus drivers,the group was forced to abandontheir dreams of showersand a few hours of rest in realbeds before the flight home.Instead, the Kansas pilgrimscamped out in the Lisbonairport for an expected 1 a.m.departure.Those who couldn’t sleepparticipated in an impromptusession of “Airport Olympics”at 2:30 a.m., organized byseminarian Mark Ostrowskiand chaperone Susan Beam.The events included baggagerelays, wheelchair obstaclecourse, and sleeping bagshuffleboard.Even mechanical delaysand gate changes couldn’tdampen the enthusiasm ofthe pilgrims, however, as theyreturned home with their mission:spread the Gospel.By Nathan Haverlandand Nancy Ruoff“Visiting Our Lady of Fatimawas also a high of my trip. Iam blessed with a deep loveand affection for our Mother,and seeing a site where shemade herself present on theearth was a very powerfulexperience for me.”- Luke Doyle, 4th-year College,Most Pure Heart of MaryParish, Topeka”“This whole trip I have beenlooking for St. Peregrine, sincemy grandma has been sufferingwith cancer, but I couldn’tfind him. Then, at Fatima,after we made the walk on ourknees, I was praying for mygrandma. Soon after we wentto the gift shop, I picked up arandom saint card and it washim!”– Danielle Yadon, 17,Mother Teresa Parish“I experienced somethingamazing in the city of Fatima.In Fatima, we had the optionof walking down and aroundthe chapel on our knees. Atfirst, I was excited and readyfor the challenge. But halfwaythrough, I started feeling painin my knees. I was prayingfor my family, and I saw theending for most people. Allof a sudden, I felt a strongurge to go back up the hillon my knees, even thoughI was suffering. I followedthat urge, and I have a strongfeeling that my prayers will beanswered when I get home.”- Abigail Baeten, 16,Mother Teresa Parish“On this pilgrimage, I gaineda greater love for and deeperappreciation of the universalnature of the church, thepresence of Christ in each facethat I saw, and the beautyand fruits of suffering that isoffered humbly to Christ.”- Justin Hamilton, Theology I,St. Joseph Parish, Topeka“The best part for me was gettingreally close to everyoneon the trip. I didn’t notice it asit happened but, looking back,now I see that my favoritemoments were the ones justsitting around having conversationsabout anything withthe seminarians and peoplefrom around the world. Ireally saw God’s light shinethrough them.”-Kristen Sumpter, 18, MotherTeresa Parish