Looking Forward

 A few weeks ago, our youth returned home from Rome and Austria. They shared their experiences of the Pilgrimage, and they are always looking forward. 

2027 is two years away, but the years go by so fast. My family is already looking forward to the next World Youth Day, which will be in South Korea. We have already started saving up for the trip. So, we are looking forward to WYD. It's fortunate for us because we are close to South Korea. The last WYD was in Portugal, which was very far for us. 

In the meantime, the NCW continues to evangelize both in Guam and other Pacific Islands. We hope to produce more vocations especially the priesthood. We already have a few who are studying for the priesthood. These sons of Guam may not be priests in Guam, but they are for the universal Church. We continue to pray for them. 

Pilgrimage to Rome

 The NCW in Guam and Saipan are on their way to Rome for a pilgrimage. Kudos to the youth.

50th Anniversary of the NCW in USA

 According to Catholic News Agency:

20,000 attend Mass marking 50th anniversary of the Neocatechumenal Way in U.S.

ACI Prensa Staff, Jul 11, 2024 / 16:30 pm

More than 20,000 people participated in a Sunday, July 7, Mass marking the 50th anniversary of the Neocatechumenal Way in the United States. The Eucharist was celebrated by the apostolic nuncio to the U.S., Cardinal Christophe Pierre, and held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

A news brief from the Neocatechumenal Way sent to ACI Prensa, CNA’S Spanish-language news partner, said that the Mass was in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the 1974 visit to New York by the initiators of this apostolate, Kiko Argüello and Carmen Hernández.

Participating in the Mass were thousands of young people from different parts of the United States who arrived in Brooklyn after having made several days of pilgrimage to shrines and holy places in the country.

“At the end of the liturgy, about 1,000 young men rose up to show they are entering a seminary to begin their preparation for the priesthood; another 1,500 young women stood up to express their desire to give their lives to Christ by entering a convent or as missionaries,” the news brief highlighted.

Although Argüello did not attend the Mass in person, he joined the celebration with a video call from Madrid, Spain.

He recalled how in 1974 he visited several parish priests in New York from a list given to him by the then-archbishop, Cardinal Terence Cooke, and how only the last of the priests he met agreed to start a community of the Neocatechumenal Way.

Pierre’s homily

“On this significant anniversary of the Neocatechumenal Way in the United States, I greet you on behalf of Pope Francis and reaffirm his support and appreciation for the work that the Way does in the service of evangelization,” the prelate said at the beginning of his homily.

Next, the cardinal recalled what the Holy Father told the members of the apostolate in 2018 in Italy: “Your charism is a great gift from God for the Church of our time. Let us thank the Lord for these 50 years.”

After recalling the importance of going out to find “the lost sheep,” the nuncio recalled that “Pope Francis often speaks of opening the doors to people who live in all the situations of moral poverty, to those who have strayed from God, and accompany them back. It is necessary for the Church to open a way back. Is there a way back from addiction, from violence, from despair? God can make a way where it seems impossible.”

“There is a thirst for God that secularization cannot satisfy … This is the mission of the Church: to open the door for sinners to return,” he stressed.

The French cardinal also said that “our failures prepare us for the mission, so that we won’t judge the sins of others: Only those who have experienced the power of grace can show sinners the way back to God.”

Accompanying Pierre at Mass were Cardinal Joseph Tobin of Newark, New Jersey, with Auxiliary Bishops Michael Saporito and Elias Lorenzo; Bishop Robert Brennan of Brooklyn with Auxiliary Bishop James Massa and Bishop Emeritus Nicholas DiMarzio of Brooklyn; and other American bishops, in addition to about 300 priests.

In the United States there are 1,100 communities, in addition to hundreds of families on mission.

There are also nine Redemptoris Mater diocesan seminaries, where 300 seminarians are now preparing for the priesthood and a total of 270 priests have already completed their formation. The seminaries are in Newark, New Jersey; Washington, D.C.; Boston; Denver; Dallas; Brooklyn, New York; Bridgeport, Connecticut; Miami; and Philadelphia.

What is the Neocatechumenal Way?

The Neocatechumenal Way, a July 3 statement notes, was “officially approved by the Holy See in 2008, not as an association or movement, but as a post-baptismal catechumenate, as an instrument to help parishes and dioceses in the work of evangelization.”

The Neocatechumenal Way is present in 135 countries with some 25,000 communities, making a total of more than 1 million members.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

50th Anniversary of NCW in USA

The 50th Anniversary of the NCW was posted on the Internet. Guam is in the front, wearing our white and green Hawaiian shirts. 

https://youtube.com/watch?v=p0MwofbYxMU&si=B1jzpFwFGepyOlzH

50th Anniversary of the NCW of the U.S.

The NCW of Guam joined many others who participated in celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the NCW of the United States. We also evangelized in the U.S. The photo below was taken in Barclay's Center in Brooklyn, New York where the Eucharist was held. Thousands of the brothers and sisters worldwide came to celebrate together. Like the Charismatic Catholics, the NCW could fill up a whole stadium.

Pilgrimage to the United States

The NCW in Guam is going on another pilgrimage. We will be traveling to the United States to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the NCW in America. Our pilgrimage will start in Florida and end in New York. Both the youth and adults are invited. The trip will be toward the end of June. 

World Youth Day 2023 in Portugal

 The Guam youth left on July 27 and July 28 for World Youth Day. We joined with the islands of Saipan, Hawaii, Palau, and Kiribati. We met in Madrid Spain and came together as the NCW of the Pacific Islands. We went on pilgrimage together in Spain and then traveled to Portugal ahead of Pope Francis. 

World Youth Day began on August 6th. There were an estimated 1.5 million youth there. There were also 30 Cardinals, 700 Bishops, and 10,000 priests at the event. The message that Pope Francis gave to the youth is to not be afraid to change the world. Yes, it will be the youth whom we hope will change the world into a better place. 

When the calling came for the priesthood and the convent for girls, over 1500 young women stood up answering the call to be a nun and over 2000 young men stood up answering the call to the priesthood. Of that number, 46 youth from the Pacific Islands stood up. There were 31 girls and 15 boys from the Pacific Islands. Of those youth who stood up 4 came from Kiribati, 12 from Hawaii, 1 from Saipan and 29 from Guam! Kudos to these youth from the Pacific Islands and to all the youth who stood up for the calling. The Neocatechumenal Way continues to move forward into promoting vocations for the Catholic Church. Congratulations!

The next World Youth Day will be in Seoul, South Korea. This is good news because South Korea is closer to Guam. Hopefully, the next time around, we can book our tickets on Korean Airlines earlier. 😀

In further news, the NCW in Guam will continue to evangelize the Pacific region. We will be evangelizing the Federated States of Micronesia, American Samoa, and other islands in the Pacific. So, hopefully, we will  have more Pacific islands joining us in the next World Youth Day in South Korea.

World Youth Day to Portugal

Our Guam youth in the NCW are getting ready for the World Youth Day to Portugal. Our youth will be flying out of Guam in the last week of July. There are approximately 160 Guam youth who will be participating in this pilgrimage.  The NCW in Saipan, Palau, Hawaii, and Kiribati will also be meeting us in Portugal, and together we stand representing the Pacific region. We are all excited especially our kids.  😃 We all had a wonderful experience from our last pilgrimage in Israel that we are looking forward to Portugal. In our meeting with Gennarini, he will also meet us there in World Youth Day. Most of us in the NCW travel together as families in the pilgrimage.  They say that a family that prays together stays together.  A family who travels together on a pilgrimage receives many blessings. 

Also, the evangelization into the Pacific islands is already starting. We hope to build more communities in the Pacific. In time, these communities will bear much fruit. The NCW in Guam continues to bear fruit. We have itinerants doing missionary work, and some of our young men are in the seminaries preparing for the priesthood.

Youth Pilgrimage to Israel

 Below is a video of the youth pilgrimage in 2022 at the Domus Galilee.  The NCW in the U.S.A. and Guam were present during the vocational meeting.  About 200 young men stood up for the priesthood, 300 young women stood up for the monastery, and 200 families for the mission.  You can easily identify a Guam youth among those in the crowd by the Hawaiian print shirt they wore as their uniform.

Israel Pilgrimage 2

Israel Pilgrimage

The pilgrimage to Israel took place in July.  The Guam youth and their chaperones left Guam earlier than the adults.  There were almost 300 people from Neocatechumenal Way in Israel.  We met the youth from the United States.  They were over 5000 people there.  New Jersey brought 1,500 people to Israel.  Both California and Texas had 1,100 with them, and Florida brought 800 people.

When the calling was made for the priesthood, 205 young men stood up and ran to the stage.  About four Guam young men were among them.  When the calling was made for those who felt a calling for women to join the Convent, 300 women ran to the stage.  About four young women were from Guam.  These young men and women will be nurtured into their vocations. It's always important to nurture the vocation of these youth who stood up for the calling.   Without this nurture from the NCW communities, the temptations of the world can turn them away.  When the calling came for the mission families,  200 families stood up.  Biba to the Neocatechumenal Way!  Bible for Way for promoting the priesthood.  You can see the entire event in the following YouTube:

Israel Pilgrimage

Easter Announcement

 We had our Easter Announcement last night.  Father Krzysztof conducted the entire Announcement with the help of Father Harold.  David and his wife were in Hawaii and will be returning soon.  As usual, introductions were the first order of business.  The Bible says that what comes from God will never die out. The NCW in Guam is here to stay.

We heard more news from the NCW in Ukraine.  They are standing strong.  The letter they sent was very inspiring.  They do not hate the enemy.  Rather, they continue to pray for their enemies.  Remarkably, they also continue to walk and even established a school to continue the education of the children....all this in the midst of a war. Many of them remain in Ukraine with their families.  

After the Announcement, the youth of the different communities in Guam held a bake sale.  The funds will go to their pilgrimage to Israel.  This summer, the NCW in Guam will be traveling to Israel for a pilgrimage. Many adults and youth of the NCW Guam communities will be in Israel.  I am sure that many of our youth will find the pilgrimage inspiring...so inspiring that some may feel the calling to a religious life.  What an opportunity God has given us!  Imagine that we will be in the Holy Land walking in the same place Jesus once walked more than 2000 years ago.  The NCW in the United States will also be in Israel, so we will meet up with them.  All praise and glory goes to God as He opened up this pilgrimage for us!  

Youth Pilgrimage

Guam’s youth in the Neocatechumenal Way has been on a pilgrimage since the middle of July.  They are traveling together with Saipan and Hawaii.  Their flight to the United States was a rough one as their flight was delayed and re-routed a few times.  However, they have made it to Washington D.C. and are having a wonderful time.  Please continue to pray for our youth and their vocation.  Kudos to our youth in the Neocatechumenal Way.  

The Mustard Seed

 Mark 4:30-32  Again he said, "What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it?  It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth.  Yet, when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade."

Some of our youth in the Way are currently off-island on a pilgrimage.  When they return to Guam, they will tell their experiences to the brothers in their communities.  It is always good to listen to their experiences.  These pilgrimages have also fostered vocations for some of our young men and women.  It is where they hear God calling them to the priesthood, the convent, or to itinerancy. Some of the young men in the pilgrimage may answer God's calling to the priesthood.  And when these sons of Guam answer the calling, they will be sent by their communities to a seminary in the U.S. mainland or another country where they will continue their studies to the priesthood.  They will serve the universal Church in either the U.S. mainland or the country they were sent.  The NCW started as a small mustard seed whose faith continues to grow among its members.  It continues to promote and foster vocations even when the Guam Redemptoris Mater Seminary was sold.  It continues to be fruitful in promoting vocations and in the new evangelization.    

Kudos to the young men and women who are participating in the pilgrimage off-island.  Imagine how eager these youth were to participate in a pilgrimage rather than attend a rock concert.  They will continue to evangelize in their pilgrimages off-island so that the vocations and the Catholic Church in the U.S. mainland and other countries will increase.   

Filipino Catholic Realizes Dreams By Crafting Rosaries

 A young Filipino Catholic wanted to attend the pilgrimage in Poland, but didn't have the money for the trip.  However, God created a way for him to attend using the talent God had given him.  You can find the following article here:

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Mark Carlo Herrera Cruz had about a year to prepare for what he called “a pilgrimage of a lifetime” in Krakow, Poland.

It was already mid-2015 and he was not sure where to get the money for his trip. He needed at least US$2,500 to cover all his expenses.

One evening, Cruz prayed the Holy Rosary and asked God to give him the “strength and resources” needed “to fulfill this mission.”

The next morning, the then-22-year-old native of Batangas province realized that his prayers had already been answered even before he asked for it.

“The answer to my prayers was already in the palm of my hand, the rosary beads,” he said.

Earlier, Cruz got interested in crafting rosaries. He started with simple beads and designs that he acquired in a local bead shop.

So, months before the World Youth Day, “I dared myself to make and sell rosaries.” He said “there was no grand plan.”

“I just took my tools and started crafting,” he said.

After finishing several pieces, he took photos and posted it on his social media account. He later received messages placing orders of his rosaries that were priced at US$7 a piece.

Cruz spent sleepless nights crafting and selling rosaries.

“I was surprised by how people responded,” he said. “I got a lot of inquiries and orders. Honestly, I don’t know how many rosaries I made that year.”

Cruz earned about US$4,000 from crafting and selling rosaries, enough for him to travel to Poland in July 2016.

After the week-long pilgrimage, Cruz thought it was over, still he continued to receive messages from people expressing their interest in his rosaries.

Cruz said he usually spends at least 45 minutes to craft a rosary with a simple design and at least six hours to finish a rosary with intricate and elaborate patterns.

“I can only craft them during weekends and in the evening before going to bed because I have a day job,” he said, adding that it is not a money-making venture.

“Crafting rosaries is a passion,” he said. “Every detail and every bead comes from how I interpret the personality of the person who would use the rosary.”

Cruz said some of his clients are priests, nuns, and members of church organizations, “but a lot of them are individuals, common people, or the lay faithful.”

In 2018, Cruz was again chosen to participate in an international gathering in Rome to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Neocatechumenal Way, also known as the Neocatechumenate, an itinerary of Christian formation within the Catholic Church.

He was “a little bit confident” that he could fund his next international pilgrimage by crafting and selling rosaries.

“The Holy Rosary again answered my prayer,” he said. He was able to go to Rome.

In recent months, Cruz made more than a dozen hand-crafted habit rosaries for the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary of La Naval de Manila.

The rosaries were placed on images of Dominican Saints and on the image of the Our Lady of the Holy Rosary of La Naval during its feast in October 2019.

He also crafted rosaries that were used for more than 200 religious images in dioceses across the country, including one that was used for the Our Lady of Lourdes of Punta Princesa in the Archdiocese of Cebu.

“I don’t consider rosary-making a business but a charism that is given to me to help spread the devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary,” he said.

“As a sinner, I used to say that it is my privilege and great joy to be an instrument of someone’s devotion,” he said.

While a simple hand-crafted rosary costs US$7, the price gets higher depending on the design and the materials.

The most expensive piece of the rosary that he crafted sold for about US$300.

In March, Cruz thought orders for handcrafted rosaries would decline because of the coronavirus pandemic, but the demand continued to grow.

“It only shows that the devotion to the Holy Rosary and to the Blessed Virgin Mary is growing amidst the challenges that we are facing because of the pandemic,” he said.––LiCas News

From Cardinal Sean's Blog

Cardinal O'Malley celebrated Mass with pilgrims from Boston before the vigil with the Holy Father in Panama City. Pilot photo/CardinalSeansBlog.org

From Cardinal Sean's Blog

As I left off last week, the Holy Father was just arriving in Panama to attend World Youth Day.

Of course, there were a number of events connected to his welcoming and arrival, and the Holy Father's talks, particularly on Friday, were beautiful.

There were about 30 American bishops with us in Panama and, as I mentioned last week, the U.S. had the largest delegation of any single nation at World Youth Day, except, of course, for Panama.

The theme was "Be It Done to Me According to Thy Word," and they even had rubber wrist bracelets with that phrase on them.

Mass with pilgrims from Boston

On Saturday morning, before the vigil with the Holy Father, I gathered with all the pilgrims from Boston attending World Youth Day at the Church of Our Lady of Carmen, a beautiful Carmelite church in the center of Panama City.

In addition to the group traveling with the archdiocesan pilgrimage, there were parish groups from Revere, Lowell, Marlborough, East Boston, and the cathedral, who are part of the Neocatechumenal Way, the LifeTeen Group from Hanover and Norwell, and a group from the Brazilian community at St. Tarcisius Parish in Framingham.

There were about 200 pilgrims from Boston with us at the Mass -- more than I had been expecting.

Meeting with Pope Francis

On Saturday afternoon, we gathered with the Holy Father at Metropark. We were blessed with the weather because, although it was hot, we had no rain.

The vigil on Saturday evening was impressive. There were a number of testimonies given by individual young people about their faith. There was also a testimony of a family, who spoke about their daughter who has Down syndrome.

There were several musical numbers and then the Holy Father gave a talk, which was followed by adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.

It was inspiring to see hundreds of thousands of young people in complete silence during the adoration.

Then, throughout the night, they had concerts and prayers.

Our pilgrims from Boston stayed overnight on the site, though we bishops headed back into the city until about 3:00 a.m., when we headed out again to attend the Sunday morning Mass.

There was a crowd of about 700,000 people for the Mass. The music and the participation were, as always, very moving.

At the Mass, they had relics of Archbishop Oscar Romero, who was one of the patrons of this World Youth Day.

At the Mass, I met the pastor of Easter Island, Father Bernardo, who sought me out. He himself is a member of the native peoples of Easter Island, the Rapanui, and told me he is the only Rapanui priest in his archdiocese.

He introduced me to one of his Rapanui parishioners who was with him, as well.

They gave me a necklace and a flag because they knew that Easter Island was my first assignment and they are still waiting for me to come and be the assistant pastor there.

As we concluded, the Holy Father made the announcement that the next World Youth Day will be held in Lisbon, Portugal.

There were a number of Portuguese there, including the patriarch of Lisbon and the head of the Portuguese bishops' conference.

I spoke to the patriarch, and he told me that there is great excitement in Portugal over hosting World Youth Day in 2022. He told me that one of the ideas he has is to reach out to the Portuguese speaking countries in Africa and, hopefully, bring many young people from that part of the world. They also have a close relationship with Cape Verde and Brazil.

The presence of Fatima also makes Portugal an attractive location for World Youth Day.

Scottish Pilgrims in Panama

More stories from the World Youth Day in Panama are coming in.  The next world youth day was also announced in Panama....Portugal.  The following article can be found here.
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The Glasgow pilgrims who beat the odds to see the Pope in Panama

Trio from Scotland travelled 7,000 miles via Spain and Costa Rica to reach World Youth Day

A trio of young pilgrims from Scotland who beat the odds to see Pope Francis in Panama have said World Youth Day made them feel less alone and helped them ‘recharge’ their Faith, as they returned to Glasgow.

No Scottish diocesan or national pilgrimage groups were organised this year to World Youth Day, which brings together young Catholics from across the globe every three years, and it was thought that Scotland was unrepresented at the gathering.

However, the trio from St Thomas in Riddrie, Glasgow, would not be beaten in their goal to attend and financed their own journey by selling almost 4,000 candles in churches and reaching out to a group who were travelling from Portugal.

Through December and January, they raised £4,000, covering more than half of the £2,000 cost each of their 7,000-mile journey from Glasgow to Madrid, Costa Rica and over the border into Panama.

Neocatechumenal

Hundreds of thousands of people gathered in Panama City from January 22-27. Among them were Madalena Fonseca, 21, Louise Swan, 21, and David Sanchez, 19. All three are part of the Neocatechumenal Way, a Catholic movement with around 100 members in Scotland.

Madalena came to Scotland from Portugal 10 years ago, David arrived from Spain four years ago after his father was asked to evangelise here by the movement, and Louise was born into the Way after her father was introduced to it by the woman he would later marry.

After putting out a call to friends in the movement, Madalena—who has been to World Youth Days in Madrid, Rio and Krakow along with Louise—managed to secure a space on the Portuguese pilgrimage.

Serendipitously, Portugal would later be announced as the venue for the 2022 World Youth Day, meaning the three pilgrims from Scotland were given a prime spot on the stage with Pope Francis during Mass.

Madalena studies optometry at ­Glasgow Caledonian University, David sports and coaching at the City of Glasgow College and Louise is enrolled in French and Spanish at Glasgow University.

Despite busy university schedules and exams, they took time out because ‘World Youth Day was more ­important,’ they said.

Faith recharged

David said WYD helps young ­people ‘recharge their Faith.’

“I say it’s like a battery of a phone. In Poland [for World youth Day 2016] it was 100 per cent, then after three years I was running out of battery and I needed to recharge it.”

He said the vigil Mass in Panama was an incredible moment. “I spoke to everybody that night, from all over the world,” he said. “From Canada, America, Columbia.

“When I went to [World Youth Day] my Faith wasn’t the best, but I could feel Him there, and that filled me up and I can now evangelise again.

“When the Pope was talking about Mary saying ‘yes’ to God, it reminded me of my situation when I had to come [to Scotland]. I felt like the Pope was inviting me to evangelise—and when I get back to college I’m thinking about telling them all what happened.”

Madalena said WYD was a ‘powerful’ experience.

“[The Pope] said some times young people can feel invisible and for me in my life I feel that a lot. You can feel very isolated here in your little life and nobody else believes and then you go to WYD and see all these people who believe the same as you. It’s incredible.”

She added that she hopes to spread what she learned at WYD back in Scotland.

“In my head I say, ‘yes, I’ll do the work of God,’ but when it comes time to act, it’s hard. It’s scary when you come back because you feel like you are in a bubble there, that everything is perfect, and then you come back home to reality. So it can be very hard to give witness to my Faith. But this pilgrimage was a very strong invitation to not be scared because God will be with us. I received so much at WYD that I’d feel very selfish if I keep it all to myself.”

Louise, who also attends St Joseph’s in Clarkston, took a Saltire with her on the trip, and proudly wore it at the various papal events—although she says many of the international pilgrims did not, unfortunately, recognise it.

She said that her Faith gives meaning to her life, and that joining the thousands of young people from across the world gave her hope.

“In Scotland it’s quite easy to feel alone, especially as a young person. Even in a church it can be quite empty. Most of my friends are not Catholic or if they were they don’t go to Mass and no longer believe in God. It’s very hard to be seen as different, and almost put yourself at risk to be mocked or not have any friends—which I know wouldn’t happen, but it is a fear.

“So it’s good to see other young people in the same situation with the same problems as you. It made me feel less isolated. Maybe that’s a problem—that we don’t interact with the youth enough in Scotland in the Church.”

The Neocatechumenal Way was formed in Madrid in 1964 by Kiko Argüello and Carmen Hernández. In Scotland, they provide catechesis, with groups meeting during the week and for Mass on Saturdays.

Madalena said the Way helps her find answers to life and deepen her Faith. “You participate—you’re invited to share what you’ve learned,” she said describing the movement. “You’re not just there sitting down and filling a chair—you are there because you are giving your life.”

And she encouraged other young people to follow the trio’s lead and attend the next World Youth Day. “It’s not impossible—we took 30 people with us to Brazil, again by selling candles, and its funny how people remember us,” she said. “It is possible if you really do desire to go. Go to World Youth Day—it gives you the strength to carry on.”

NCW Pilgrims In WYD

The NCW in Brisbane Australia consisted of Native-born pilgrims who came from Central and South America.  Coming to the World Youth Day in Panama brought some feelings of loss and redemption for these pilgrims.  The following article can be found here. 
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Old feelings of loss and redemption for native-born pilgrims returning to Americas for WYD

AS young Catholics from across Australia arrive in Central America en route to World Youth Day in Panama, some have spoken of an emotional homecoming – their families fled strife-torn Central America decades ago, and this is their first chance to return.

Other pilgrims have spoken of their hopes for coming face-to-face with Pope Francis and having a faith encounter amidst pilgrims from across the world.

For Sandra Pena, a 31-year-old Brisbane Catholic and a member of the city’s Neocatechumenal Way community, making her sixth WYD pilgrimage, this trip was “a dramatic moment” in her life.

Her family fled strife-torn El Salvador when she was four years old.

“My roots are in Central America and I have never been here before,” Ms Pena, who speaks fluent Spanish and is an experienced medical receptionist, said.

Several of her fellow young pilgrims are from families who fled El Salvador and have made a new life in Australia.

“I’m really looking forward to having an encounter with Christ because in this year I really feel like I’ve gone away from God, kind of lost my way,” Daniel Urbina, also making a pilgrimage with Brisbane’s Neocatechumenal community, said.

“I am hoping that God will speak to me and help me to find my direction by coming here.”

The World Youth Day gathering in Panama City, which opened on Tuesday and continues until today (January 27), will be the first time the event, first instituted by St John Paul II in 1985, will be held in Central America and likely the only opportunity for many of the region’s young adults and teenagers to catch a glimpse of Pope Francis, who arrived in Panama on Wednesday (January 23).

Ahead of arriving in Panama City, Mr Urbina, is travelling with Australia’s Neocatechumenal communities, first through Mexico and Costa Rica.

In Mexico the young pilgrims billeted with Catholic families in the city of Puebla, and visited the hilltop Our Lady of Miracles Church built over the top of an Aztec pyramid, and the archaeological wonder of Teotihuacan, the pyramids of the Sun and the Moon, and the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Many of the young Catholics have attended past World Youth Days and have found it a life-changing experience.

“In Poland (WYD 2016) I really found the mercy of God and that Christ loved me,” Mr Urbina said.

“It was a great experience and I hope to have another experience like that.

“What really stuck out to me in Poland was the communion that we had with young people there.

“We got to meet a lot of people from other countries, and to see the joy people had, welcoming us to share the faith with other young people.

“It was really beautiful … in Australia, many times I feel alone following my faith – but there I saw a whole generation of young people who want to follow Christ.

“To me that was a really great experience to have.”

Australian pilgrims have experienced a few discomforts – ranging from lack of sleep, trials with bus schedules and diarrhoea – but they have also learnt of the far greater challenges faced by young Central Americans wanting to make their way to Panama City.

Nicaragua has been dealing with political and economic upheaval, some of it involving violent clashes with government forces that have plagued the Central American nation since last year.

“Some of the young Nicaraguans heading to (World Youth Day) have made extraordinary economic sacrifices, selling things, begging institutions for help, because it’s a unique opportunity,” 25-year-old Nicaraguan journalist Israel Gonzalez Espinoza told Catholic News Service.

Past World Youth Day gatherings have taken place in Spain, Poland, Brazil, the Philippines, the United States and other countries that have been cost-prohibitive to Central American youth, many who are now excited about their physical proximity to the upcoming celebration.

Nicaragua’s deteriorating economic and political situation, was expected to impact on pilgrims from Central American nations such as El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Honduras, travelling by land through Nicaragua.

Mr Gonzalez said he had heard that Panama had been in talks with officials in the country to expedite a safe passage of pilgrims travelling through and returning through Nicaragua before and after World Youth Day.

Ms Pena said her only disappointment leading up to this WYD was that she wanted to share it with more young Catholics from Central America.

Despite the tensions, another Brisbane pilgrim Gustavo Mendez, whose parents also left El Salvador for Australia, was keen to experience the mass gathering of young Catholics in Panama City.

He also attended WYD in Poland and found it a life-changing experience.

“I encountered Christ – not only in the words (spoken by Pope Francis), but in the people,” Mr Mendez said.

“Seeing the three million people united in Poland – that’s where I felt the presence of Christ, because I saw together we could be the image of Christ.

“And that left a grand impression in me.

“I wanted to see in this pilgrimage in Panama that I could have the exact same encounter – not only seeing Christ in the sacraments and confession but also meeting Christ in the people, and more importantly meeting Christ in my own life.”

50th Anniversary of the Neocatechumenal Way in Rome - Wynnum Pilgrimage ...

Below is a video of the Rome Pilgrimage by the Wynnum Pilgrims in Australia.  Their pilgrimage started a few days earlier than Guam.  Guam started its Rome pilgrimage on May 1st.  On May 5th, all the pilgrims from around the world gathered together at Tor Vergata.

NCW Saipan in Church News

How beautiful that the Diocese of Chalan Kanoa in Saipan published the NCW pilgrimage to Rome.  There were 50 pilgrims from Saipan who attended the 50th anniversary of the NCW in Rome.  And how beautiful that the pilgrims received a "send off blessing" from Bishop Ryan Jimenez before they left to Rome.  

Guam, on the other hand, did not receive any recognition from our Archdiocese.  We did not even receive any "send off blessing" from Archbishop Michael Byrnes.  Such shame, and there were 300 pilgrims from Guam.  Such shame.....well, so much for the year of reparation in Guam. Nevertheless, despite the fact that we did not receive any "send off blessing" from Archbishop Byrnes, we received a much higher and greater blessing in the end.  We represented the Church of Guam and received the blessing from Pope Francis.  

Congratulations to the brothers in Saipan and to your Bishop.  You can find the following article here.

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Saipan Pilgrims Travelled to Rome for the 50th Anniversary of the Neocatechumenal Way

By: Julie Anne Loong

If you ask any of the pilgrims who participated early this month in the pilgrimage to Rome, to describe it in one word, they would reply with, “Beautiful.” In fact, it was more than beautiful. It was perfect.

On April 26, 2018, Bishop Ryan Jimenez bestowed a send- off blessing on 50 pilgrims from the parishes of Nuestra Señora Bethen De Los Remedios and San Vicente de Ferrer, including the parish priest Father Jason Granado, who travelled with them to participate in the meeting with Pope Francis and the initiators and international team of the Way, Kiko Arguello, Father Mario Pezzi, and Maria Ascension Romero, to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Neocatechumenal Way in Italy.

These brothers and sisters joined over 200 more from communities in Guam, Palau, and Hawaii.

The pilgrimage officially began on the early morning of Sunday, April 29. The pilgrims embarked on roughly 48 hours of travel time including layovers and actual flight time; however, upon arrival at the Fiumicino Airport in Rome, Italy the joy and excitement on everyone’s faces were evident. Despite the bags under their eyes and obvious jet lag, they were all smiling.

About 150,000 people in communities around the world gathered on May 5 in the University of Tor Vergata, in the outskirts of Rome to give thanks to God for opening the Way. The flags of over 130 countries waved in the air under the perfectly blue sky.

Spending a week in Rome is an obvious bucket list goal, but being there during that time served a different purpose. It was to simply, as Pope Francis said in his speech, “Go!” It was to leave comfort zones by becoming a part of the mission and to go to announce the good news of the love of God to everyone.

“Go. The mission demands that we leave. But in life, there is a strong temptation to remain, not to take risks, to be content with having the situation under control. It is easier to stay at home, surrounded by those who love us, but it is not Jesus’ way. He sends us out: ‘Go’. He does not use half measures. He does not authorize reduced transfers or reimbursed trips, but he says to His disciples, to all his disciples one word only: ‘Go!’. Go: a powerful call that resonates in every corner of Christian life; a clear invitation always to be outbound, pilgrims in the world in the search for the brother who still does not know the joy of God’s love.”

Pope Francis also sent out 34 new missio ad gentes, communities consisting of a priest and three to five families with children, to various countries as well as 25 communities to parishes in the Diocese of Rome.

At the end of the meeting, Kiko led the assembly in singing the Te Deum in order to give praise to God.

The architecture of the buildings dating back to as early as the 11th century were a drastic change from the fruiting mango trees and tin roofs back home.

The pilgrims were given the opportunity to see the incorrupt bodies and tombs of numerous saints and former popes, world-famous buildings and art pieces created by Renaissance artists.

During a 10am mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, four youth from Saipan (Julius Reyes, Trinity Camacho, Leveque Iguel, and Margo Quitugua) had the grace of being selected to bring up the water, ciborium, and chalice during the offertory. They were given blessings by the cardinal who presided the mass along a mixture of more than 20 other archbishops, priests, and cardinals, and were seated on the farthest front pew below the Chair of St. Peter with hundreds of parishioners behind them.

The tomb of Saint Francis Assisi, St. Peter’s Square and Basilica, St. Paul’s Basilica, and The Basilica of the Holy Cross of Jerusalem where a fragment of the true cross of Jesus Christ and other holy relics are on display were a few of the main destinations visited during their stay in Italy.

They returned almost two weeks later, carrying happiness and unforgettable experiences.

“We thank all our benefactors and brothers who continuously supported us and helped us go on this pilgrimage through generous donations and prayers. Most of all, we thank God for yet another year of the Neocatechumenal Way, another year of miracles, for the pilgrimage, and for the countless blessings he has given us through it.”

(Julie is a parishioner of Santa Remedios, Tanapag)