TORONTO, Canada, September 27, 2002 — Sue Careless spoke with several pilgrims in the first three days of the WYD festival about their hopes and expectations.
Rita Ayanleke, 25, is studying microbiology in Lagos, Nigeria and is active with the Catholic Youth Organisation of Nigeria. "Trying to live a holy life can't be easy anywhere. WYD makes us grow up in the spiritual life." Rita is one of only 50 Nigerians were approved by the Canadian government. Another 50 were not given visas.
Corine & Jeanine - Holland
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Two Dutch sisters are singing boisterously with their group on the Toronto subway as they head to their first day of WYD. Jeanine Bou-Rached, 15, wants to be a psychiatrist. "At WYD you can love God with all your friends. In Holland you don't have young people in church. Young people are a little afraid to show each other their faith. Here it is fun and easy to believe. I want to have more personal peace and live without war."
Her sister, Corine Bou-Rached, 20, is a social worker with the disabled. "Three of my aunts are nuns. I grew up in a household of faith, but for three years I wondered if I really believed. I am trying to find my faith again. It was so empty and I want something more. There is something special about being a Christian." The sisters had been hosted by churches in Niagara Falls and Grimsby and are among 550 from Holland.
Australia sent a huge contingent of 1,300, of which 20 were Vietnamese refugees from Sydney & Melbourne. Rev. Paul Van Chi Chu, 53, their priest, was held a prisoner by the communists for 4 years in Vietnam. His group first visited Mexico and New York and will return by Paris and Rome. The Vietnamese Australians head off to Chinatown for something to eat.
Ryan Thomas, 19, from Arizona, will attend Regis University this fall. "The Pope is not what WYD is all about." Ryan is not ruling out the priesthood. He looks forward to meeting various clergy and people of different religious orders. American pilgrims numbered over 50,000.
This is Astrid Van Houten's fourth WYD. Now 28, the psychologist from Rotterdam, Holland, was most moved by the one in Poland in 1991, where many poor Poles had walked hundreds of miles instead of taking buses. She needs the continual renewal of WYD.
Youth from Taiwan
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Denny Liu, 20, is studying accounting in Taiwan. A friend said he had to come to WYD. His parish supported some pilgrims. Denny's family had hosted pilgrims for the Asian WYD at which Japan, Malaysia and Hong Kong also participated. In Taiwan there are lots of local religions, as well as Taoism, which is especially practised by the older folk. Denny attended a Catholic school.
Theresa Hsueh, 21, said many Taiwanese who are not Christians attend Catholic schools because they provide a good education. And some, as she did, met Jesus there. "Its pretty lonesome, I have to say, being a Catholic. Friends try to discourage you. 'It's meaningless,' they say. 'Let's just go and have fun. Depend on yourself not God.' But she hasn't followed them. Will there be language barriers at WYD? "No. Smiling is the best language to me."
Like her friends, Tien-Hsing Chang, 21, of Taiwan, also wants "a deeper experience of God."
Jayson Tan, Philipinnes (on left)
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Jayson Tan, 23, is a high school counsellor in the Philippines. He had half his trip paid by his priest, because was the only youth coming. The Philippines is 70% Catholic, 30% Muslim. "You don't just come to have fun. Fun is a bonus. The teaching is more important. This will help me grow as an individual and I will share with the boys at the Jesuit school. The Pope moves people. When he calls, people come. He has integrity. We wouldn't come if he didn't. He makes the love of Jesus concrete." Jayson was hosted in Abbottsford, BC, and was impressed with Mt. Baker.
Three girls from Mexico
Three young girls from Mexico City write only their first names in my note book. All are high school students but Michelle, 18, wants to be architect, Jennifer, 15, a missionary nun and Rosaura, 16, computer specialist. They like the Pope's message of peace. The three were hosted in London, Ontario and loved the mix of barbecues, worship, singing and parties. Like most of the foreign pilgrims they were taken to see Niagara Falls.
Two girls from Russia
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"RUSSIA" is printed in block letters on the back of Elena Schetneva's orange t-shirt. The 25-year-old is from Tuapse, near the Black Sea. She has two university degrees and is both an economist and a teacher of foreign languages. Besides Russian, she speaks English, German and Polish. She studied French for WYD.
With her is Irina Dolgich, 19, from Ishim, south of Siberia. Irina says that in Russia, "One child is not enough and two is too many." Both Russian women were struck by the larger Catholic families in Canada. Irina speaks English and German. They came to WYD because they want more teaching. They say that the Russian Orthodox Church misunderstands Catholics and views them as a sect. The two flew from Moscow via Amsterdam and landed in Montreal. They were hosted in Cornwall, Ontario. Fifty pilgrims come from Russia.
Stephanie Sinare, Burkino Fasa
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Stephanie Sinare, 26, is originally from Burkino Faso in West Africa but is currently studying at Lavalle in Quebec City for her Master of Sociology. Her French-speaking country is both Catholic and Muslim. She is pleased that WYD "bring youth together to fortify their beliefs". She is shocked to discover only the elderly in Quebec City churches. Lots of young people attend church in Burkino Faso's cities although local animist religions are practised in the smaller villages.
Margit Meyer, 20, hopes to be lawyer. She lives in Lower Saxony, Germany, an area that is heavily Catholic. She attends mass every week but in the large urban centres like Cologne and Berlin, few do. "WYD is great. It's a two week party. We're singing a lot. It's so exciting finding there are so many young people who believe." The parish paid her pocket money but she paid her own way. She loves the mix of different cultures and opinions.
Maria Goretti, 33, has only few moments to speak on the subway. She is from Ayuba, Uganda and is one of 120 Ugandan pilgrims. Another 120 were not given visas by the Canadian government even though they were approved by their bishop. This was true for much of Africa.
Charles Gouring, Australia (center)
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Charles Gourin, 50, is chaplain for a group of 24 Australian youth. The group also has a social organizer so Father Charles can focus on their spiritual needs. Australia sent a thousand pilgrims. Father Charles' group first visited Banff and then was hosted in Quebec City. "Faith is about wholeness. It takes faith to be fully human. It takes contemplation and celebration. The church needs to be both ancient and forever young. We need the wisdom and experience of the past and yet we need to be open. We need a holy insecurity and trust in the Holy Spirit."
Carlos Morales, 31, was born in Columbia and came to the United States to study English. He now lives as a Benedictine monk in Nebraska. Along with the monastic vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, Benedictines take a vow of stability. For Carlos that means living only in his monastery in Nebraska. His family still lives in Columbia where he can only visit. He thinks the Church "can do nothing" about the civil war in Columbia. "Priests are being killed too. Two bishops have been kidnapped." For WYD, 700 Columbians were accepted; 500 more were refused visas. Three bishops came. Carlos exchanged news and email addresses with three groups from his homeland. Carlos wants to experience with others their mutual faith in Jesus Christ and from their "energy for Jesus, go back with my spiritual batteries recharged." He lives as a cloistered monk whose primary work is prayer but he also counsels at a high school. Nebraska sent 250 pilgrims.
Guido & Matteo, Italy
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Guido Ceccminato, 21, is studying international trading in Venice and Matteo Chinellato, 23, is a computer specialist in Pisa. The two could have stayed home in Italy and seen the Pope. But by coming to WYD they have met with Koreans and danced and joked with pilgrims from the Dominican Republic while they were hosted in Montreal. "It's difficult to bring your faith to others. Italy is more secular than many realize. There are only two Catholic universities." Despite all the fun they've been having Guido added, "My hope is to find some quiet. I have to sit down and speak with God. I have been too busy!"
Lyndon Singh, Trinidad
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Lyndon Singh, 30, is an accountant from Trinidad. The Caribbean island sent 300 pilgrims. Lyndon is part of a 40-member group called "Love Movement" that performed on one of the 25 stages at WYD. "It's all a bit overwhelming at first. There is so much to see and do!" Fortunately, Lyndon speaks not only English but also French, Spanish and a little German. He hopes WYD will awaken a call in him. He thinks it will help him become more active again in the Church and more confident in his faith. Love Movement was staying over for Toronto's Caribbana festival.
Sister Pulcherie Ebori, 25, comes Gabon on west coast of Central Africa. The Equator runs right through her country. She is with the Sisters of Saint Joseph de Cluny and has come to WYD with 28 others from Gabon. "I want to have a very spiritual life with Jesus, and I want to transmit it to my younger brothers and sisters in the faith, that the Lord is alive and there's lots of others who pray to him." Sister Pulcherie teaches the faith to 10 to 12-year-olds. "Since my childhood, I have felt close to Jesus. And here I had another experience of Jesus, in my heart, a very profound feeling, seeing all my brothers and sisters. There's such a love between us all. Jesus brings everybody together. For me, the Pope is a representation of the Lord on earth and for our church he is our father. I look forward to the message he will give us. He has a special way of speaking of Jesus."
Brett Muscatt greets nun from Gabon
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The pilgrims from Gabon were eating their lunch under some trees. There Brett Muscat, 16, of Australia, spontaneously introduced himself to the group, shaking each person's hand and asking their name. There was much friendly banter and even more laughter when Brett accidentally stepped in an unattended plate of food.
Agatha Edom, 25, is a Nigerian accountant. "WYD helps us appreciate the unity of the Church; the Church is one." Six or seven masses in one church on any Sunday in Lagos is common. The Nigerian Church only recognizes one wife of a polygamous marriage. Christian men are taught to marry only one wife and living common-law is preached against.
Cosmas Ajawara, Nigeria
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Rev. Cosmas Ajawara, 32, of Nigeria, lives in eastern Nigeria which is predominantly Christian. However, there have been religious crises and riots in the north of Nigeria where Muslims have tried to impose their legal system, the Sharia, on Christians. Father Cosmas said, "It's a big encouragement to still see some young ones interested in holiness. WYD has a good balance. Where there are youth, you have to have fun but there is the spiritual aspect too with confession and mass every day. It's not our type of food but it is a pilgrimage. We didn't come to eat. We came to meet Christ. If you understand it is a pilgrimage, then you will sleep on grass or bare floors. The spirit of pilgrimage takes over."
Source: Sue Careless, Bible Network News
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