While it’s still too early to pack their bags, teens and young adults in the Diocese of Gary are eager for their European World Youth Day trip this summer. The international gathering for those looking to worship, pray and celebrate their Catholic faith is scheduled for July 28 to August 7 in Portugal.
Vicky Hathaway, youth and young adult ministry coordinator for the diocese, said she is so excited to attend this – her fourth World Youth Day event. (She attended trips to Toronto in 2002, Krakow in 2016, and Panama in 2019.)
Hathaway is in charge this year and encourages young people to consider going on this spectacular pilgrimage. “World Youth Day is a beautiful example of the young Church alive and joyful,” she said. “Young adults attending have the opportunity to be inspired to celebrate their faith, to share it with others and to know that they have a special role to play in the Church. It is a wonderful opportunity for young people!”
Currently, the diocese is taking about 20 people between the ages of 16 to 35. Hathaway noted that those between the age of 16 and 18 or who are still in high school must be under guidance of a guardian if they want to attend.
The trip includes a multitude of prayer opportunities, liturgies, catechetical sessions and pilgrimage walks. Pope Francis will say Mass and share his thoughts with the attendees. “There will be a gathering with the Holy Father who has such a deep love and admiration for the gifts young people bring to their communities,” Hathaway enthused. “I hope young people attending will be inspired to be open to the Holy Spirit moving in their lives and will take that with them into all that they do.”
Marlene Garcia is so excited about the upcoming trip, the thought of which overshadows her daily life. “I am looking forward to everything,” she gushed. “I will be seeing sights, praying and be able to attend Mass with the Pope.”
Garcia, 22, said she had a special devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary when she was young and is thrilled to be able to visit Fatima. “I can’t believe I am going to be in the actual place where she appeared.”
In addition to Fatima, the pilgrimage includes a visit to Santarem, seven nights in Lisbon and more. Details are available on the youth and young adult webpage: garyoyya.org/wyd. Those interested in participating may contact Hathaway at: vhathaway@dcgary.org.
Garcia, a parishioner of St. Margaret Mary in Hammond, said she has wavered in faith periodically over the years but the anticipation of the trip has been inspirational. She feels she has a better understanding of the intricacies of God’s calling and his plan for his people because of this trip.
A nurse in the Labor and Delivery unit at St. Catherine Hospital in East Chicago, Garcia said she has witnessed people die and has helped mothers give birth. “This helps me see that God has a plan for our lives that we don’t understand; we will never really understand, and that is OK.”
Hathaway said many “amazing things” happened at World Youth Day in 2019. “I loved spending time with the other pilgrims from our diocese. We had a small group, so it was nice to bond with each other. We also had some amazing prayer experiences. I was invited to participate during a Stations of the Cross prayer service that was led by Pope Francis. That was a memory I will never forget,” she recalled.
Andrew Wolfe, pastoral associate for outreach and youth at St. John the Evangelist, attended World Youth Day in 2016. “My favorite part of World Youth Day was the sheer number of other young Catholics coming to worship together. It really makes you aware of how we are all a part of a much larger body of Christ. I also enjoyed the camaraderie with the other pilgrims and how friendly everyone was, even if you couldn't speak their language. There was just such a sense of how much we all had in common as fellow believers in Christ!
“I'd encourage anyone to go to World Youth Day because the energy of so many other Catholics really revitalized my faith and the faith of so many others,” he added.
Garcia expects the trip to rejuvenate her faith. “This has positively overshadowed all else that I am doing. I can’t wait to pack my bags to go.”