The pilgrims travelling to Rio de Janeiro represent their home countries and bring with them their experiences, their stories and their culture to the event. This is part of the World Youth Day experience, bringing everything they are and connecting with others through these perspectives and stories over the course of the week. It is also a way for pilgrims to connect with other members of the youth community along with the celebrations and expressions of our Catholic faith. This sense of solidarity yet diversity is also very much reflective of this year’s World Youth Day theme, “Go and make disciples of all peoples.”
This reminded me of when World Youth Day was hosted in Toronto in 2002. The kindness and friendliness that everyone showed also reinforced that sense of belonging to the Catholic community, despite coming from different parts of the world.
It was the first time I had participated in a religious gathering on such a grand scale. The boundless energy and the expressions of creativity and joy that the pilgrims brought with them really transformed the city into a hub of Catholic celebration. It was a wonderful example of that year’s theme, “You are the salt of the earth... you are the light of the world.”
I was also amazed at the sheer number of people that were involved in the events throughout the week, from the youth groups to the parish communities to the volunteers who came out to help. My family was one of many who served as hosts for pilgrims who were travelling from out of the country. The pilgrims who stayed with us came from Italy and I remember how enthusiastic they were to come to Toronto for the festivities. They were so happy and ready to share their culture, their thoughts and stories with us. The friendships formed during their stay lasted long after the event had concluded.
The most memorable event for me was the celebrations held at Downsview Park at the end of that week. Everyone travelled and gathered together in one space, celebrating Mass with Pope John Paul II. Toronto is a multicultural city, but there was something really striking about seeing all of these flags representing the different countries from where the thousands of pilgrims came. Yet we all professed the same prayers and celebrated communion together. It was a beautiful display of what St. Paul referred to as being one body in Christ: “All of you together are the one body of Christ and each one of you is a separate and necessary part of it” (1 Corinthians 12: 27).
World Youth Day is an event that not only celebrates the vibrancy of the Catholic Church, it is also a wonderful way of coming together as a global youth community in the spirit of belonging and sharing.
(Bernardo, 26, is a practical nursing student at Seneca College of Applied Arts and Technology in Toronto.)