“Arise With Haste!”: Neocatechumenal Way Pilgrims at World Youth Day

by Admin · Published August 23, 2023 · Updated August 23, 2023

By Pietro Poggiali – “Mary arose and went with haste”. Inspired by the energy and zeal of the Virgin Mary, many young people from all the ends of the earth, including a large number of South Africans, joyously responded to Pope Francis’ call to take part in the World Youth Day gathering in Lisbon, Portugal, the first one to take place after the pandemic. Among the South Africans, a group of young pilgrims belonging to the Neocatechumenal Way, from different corners of South Africa (Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Pretoria and Nelspruit), also said their “yes” and embarked on the journey.

Right from the start, the preparations for the pilgrimage required a great deal of “faith working through love”: the costs of the trip made it seem impossible, especially for those families who had several children wanting to take part. Thus, many of them did their best to fundraise, investing all their talents (some even joined in a purpose-made rock band to play in concerts) and showed their generosity by giving up some of what they had saved in order to help a sibling to reach the target – and in return, the Providence of God greatly rewarded their efforts. Seeing how the Lord was making smooth all the steep and difficult paths before them, even with the tension and uncertainties involved in the visa applications, it was soon clear to everyone that this was nothing like a simple tourist trip but a real pilgrimage, where Jesus Christ was waiting for them in what would be a deep and life-changing encounter. When the pilgrims travelling separately from Johannesburg and Cape Town finally met in Madrid airport, the explosion of joy, singing and dancing was a real spectacle for all the passers-by. Their gratitude to God for having made it so far was already enough, but the pilgrimage was just beginning.

Making their way through Spain to Portugal, they followed in the footsteps of many saints and martyrs from there who, throughout history up to our days, had given their witness to the resurrection of Christ by tirelessly fighting for the renewal of the Church (like St. Theresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross) or who had even given up their lives for their faith while forgiving their killers. Particularly touching for all was to hear about the Servant of God Marta Obregon, a young Christian woman who, like St Maria Goretti, was stabbed repeatedly by a rapist while heroically defending her chastity. Visiting different cities in the Iberian Peninsula, our young pilgrims were able to witness not only the grandeur of the Gothic cathedrals, built by the faith of many generations, but most of all to experience the beauty of the living temple – the Church made alive by the many brothers and sisters welcoming, feeding and guiding them with great love and generosity.

Finally, after having entrusted their pilgrimage to the Virgin Mary in Fatima, they reached Lisbon to take part in the events of the World Youth Day, particularly the vigil and the final mass with Pope Francis. His words of encouragement: “DO NOT BE AFRAID!”, repeated many times, still resound in their hearts as a seal on all that they had received. Their stay in Portugal was also the occasion to rediscover the many historical links that this land carries with South Africa: the pilgrims sang, preached and prayed in the shadow of the Monument of the Discoveries, on the shore where so many explorers and holy evangelisers (like St. Francis Xavier) had set out into the unknown, travelling via Cape Point and the South African coasts on their way to the East. This was a way to give thanks to God and “hand back” the fruits of the Catholic faith which these early missionaries had planted while passing by many centuries ago.

The last appointment was the vocational meeting for the young people of the Neocatechumenal Way, which always takes place the day after the WYD papal mass. There, over 100.000 pilgrims listened to the Word of God and to witnesses by Kiko Arguello, initiator of this charism, and Maria Ascension Romero and Fr Mario Pezzi, who together form the team responsible for the Way throughout the world. Those who wanted to respond to God’s call to consecrate their lives to evangelization, in the priesthood, convent life or celibacy, were invited to stand up and to approach the stage to receive a special blessing from the Patriarch of Lisbon, who presided at the meeting. Among the thousands who offered their availability, we thank the Lord that there were many boys and girls from the South African group who will now start a process of deeper discernment in their communities. What is sure is that their courageous and generous “yes” to Christ has proved to be a great inspiration to their peers and friends.

The final gift, just before departing from Madrid, was being able to visit the chapel of the local Redemptoris Mater Seminary, where the tomb of the Servant of God Carmen Hernandez has been literally invaded by thousands and thousands of pilgrims passing by. This Spanish woman, who initiated the Way with Kiko in the ‘60s and died in 2016, is rapidly going through the process of canonization. Thanks to her intercession, God is already working many miracles, some even in the families of the South African pilgrims. Now, after entrusting to her all they had experienced and their desires, they have returned to their daily lives, but with Mary’s grateful song on their hearts and lips: “My soul proclaims the greatness the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, for he has looked with favour on the lowly state of his servant: surely from now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his Name”.