The day finally arrived, the highlight of World Youth Day, the Vigil with the Pope and the Closing Mass. As we departed our hotel Saturday around 12:15 PM we were ready. We had plenty of sunscreen, water, sleeping bags, and good spirits! This time we were also prepared for a jam-packed metro. We arrived at the metro station and every train that arrived was full--literally only one or two of the hundreds waiting were able to board each time. At one point seven of members of our group were able to board, off they went. Finally, securtity began to suggest a different route with a different drop off point, but still part of the pilgrimage to "Cuatro Vientos." Cuatro Vientos would be the site of the vigil and mass. Local newspapers described it as an airport used for private planes. The size of it was 48 football fields!
Well, as the two groups headed to the same place via different routes it was Brother Chris' job to try to connect the two. This did not seem like a difficult task. However, it took about 3 hours to complete this task and find both groups at Cuatro Vientos. Each settled in the same assigned area (hundreds of yards) but at different spots. Cuatro Vientos seemed to be the ideal location for such an event, except that it was all dust and rocks. While we had mats and tarps we were not able to avoid the dust. Our meal plan included our food for our days at Cuatro Vientos. The meal package was very generous, no one would go hungry!
The weather was quite warm. The amount of people was endless. The lines for restrooms, water, etc... were as long as expected. However, people's patience and enthusiasm helped us survive. By the time all was said and done, there was somewhere between 1.5 and 2 million peope as this was an open event. It seemed like the people never stopped arriving. Adoration chapels and snack bars were also set up. The boys had a chance to mingle with many different people. Eventually, some cloud cover provided some relief from the heat.
At about 9 PM the Pope arrived and the energy soared. As the Pope began to give his talk to us, strong winds began to blow and rain drops began to fall. People began scrambling to cover their belongings and the Pope had to stop his speech. The wind blew and the rain poured! Even the Pope's white skull cap(zuchetto) went flying! Twenty minutes later the Pope told the crowd that our enthusiasm and faith was stronger than the winds and rain--the crowd cheered. It was nice to see the Holy Father remain calm and simply remain with us as the storm passed through. It was quite an event and moment. The Pope cut his speech short and moved on to the adoration of the Eucharist followed by some closing words. He thanked us for our faith and said he would think of us deeply overnight. Once the Holy Father left, a member of the organizing committee came on stage and said he had three important announcements. The first one was the most impressive. He said the Holy Father wanted us to know he was extremely proud of us and because of our resilience would drive through the crowds the next day. It was so nice to see the compassion and care of our Holy Father. The man seemed to be never without a smile throughout his time here. We are blessed!
We eventually settled in our spots and tried to do our best to sleep. As Sunday arrived, yes we were dirty and smelly, but the enthusiasm continued. The students seemed to be in good spirits and handled everything very well. The time for the liturgy arrived and the Pope once again opened by expressing his concern for us and how he missed us in the hours he was away. He drove through as much as the crowd as possible--it was a lot of ground to cover!
The liturgy began and so did the heat. Unfortunately, we were not able to receive the Eucharist as it was taken away the night before due to the weather. In fact, some of suffered in the wind and was lost. One adoration tent collapsed injuring a few people. The moment came for the Pope to send us forward as young people on a mission. Again, the Holy Father seemed to reiterate his message of firmness in faith. You can tell he has a faith-filled desire that young people come to love Jesus. He hopes that young people see a place for them within the Church.
Pope Benedict XVI did announce that the next World Youth Day would be in Brazil in 2013. He gave us his blessing and off we went in the mass of people. We looked forward to getting back to our hotel, showering, and resting. After a 20 minute walk and waiting for about 25 minutes for our train, we boarded a crowded and hot metro train. It was a bit of a lengthy ride home, but by 1:15 PM we were at our hotel.
The CALM arrived as we rested up during the afternoon. We had dinner and one last night of good rest. Tomorrow we switch hotels for our last day here. We have to be up and ready at 2:45 AM on Tuesday morning to catch our bus to the airport.
We fly out Tuesday at 7:10 AM. After about 15 hours of traveling we will arrive in Los Angeles, God willing, on Tuesday afternoon. We hope to be at CHS by 5:30 PM.
As tomorrow will be a free day there will be no posting. Photos of the previous two days will be posted in a later post.
For now, thank you to all for your prayers and support! It has been a wonderful experience! Know of our prayers and indeed our firmness of faith. Live Jesus in our hearts forever!
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