Print Issue: August 15, 2002

'A Part Of History' Carrying WYD Cross Is Highlight For Atlanta Pilgrims

By ERIKA ANDERSON, Staff Writer

TORONTO - It may have been fate. Maybe it was a case of simply being in the right place at the right time. But Barb Garvin, senior director of children's and youth ministry, called it a miracle.

On Monday, July 22, a group of teens and young adults, who had traveled to Toronto for World Youth Day 2002, were given a unique opportunity while on a secular tour of the city. Their tour guide made an impromptu stop at St. Michael's Cathedral in downtown Toronto. There, the group was told that the World Youth Day cross, likened to the Olympic torch, was about to arrive. The group from Atlanta was asked to carry the cross into the church.

Young pilgrims from St. Peter Chanel, Roswell, gather after Mass with Bishop Fred Colli of the Diocese of Thunder Bay, Ontario. Bishop Colli led one of the World Youth Day catechesis sessions for the pilgrims at Santa Cruz Church, a local parish. (Photo by Erika Anderson/ Archdiocese of Atlanta)

Singing "Holy God We Praise Thy Name," as they carried the WYD cross above their heads into the Cathedral, the group was aware of the blessing that they had been given.

Before arriving in Toronto, the 13-foot-tall wooden cross, a symbol of World Youth Day, had made its way across Canada and to ground zero in New York.

"That made our group an exceptional part of what World Youth Day is all about," Garvin said. "We were not just observers but we became complete participants in the movement. We became a part of history. It was like a miracle that we were there when the cross arrived and the church was not even a scheduled stop on our tour."

And that was just the beginning of what would be a life-changing experience for some young Atlanta pilgrims as they participated in World Youth Day, an event begun by Pope John Paul II in 1985. Traveling with the group as chaplains were Father Stephen Lyness, parochial vicar at St. George Church, Newnan, and Father John Conway, parochial vicar at Good Shepherd Church, Cumming.

Teens and their leaders from Good Shepherd Church, Cumming, including Father John Conway, parochial vicar, pose at Downsview Lands before the Saturday night prayer vigil with Pope John Paul II. Pilgrims slept in the park that evening and awoke the next morning for Mass celebrated by the Holy Father.

The week would be full of sun and rain, celebration and penance, but above all an opportunity to grow in their faith along with young people from around the world.

At the opening Mass celebrated Tuesday, July 23 at Exhibition Place by Cardinal Aloysius Ambrozic, archbishop of Toronto, flags bearing the Archdiocese of Atlanta crest mingled with those of the over 170 countries represented at WYD festivities.

The same World Youth Day cross carried into the Cathedral the day before by Atlanta pilgrims was brought forward to the main stage as the pilgrims of every nationality stretched their hands out, hoping to touch the cross as it passed them.

The following day, the catechesis sessions began. Sharing streetcars with Toronto locals on their way to work, the Atlanta pilgrims sang songs as they made their way to Santa Cruz Parish. There they were greeted each day by the enthusiastic Daughters of St. Paul, a group of Religious women from the Archdiocese of Boston. Featured bishops spoke to the Atlanta pilgrims and groups from other American dioceses. Filled with music and praise led by the Daughters of St. Paul, the catechesis sessions were powerful for many.

"I thought the catechesis sessions were really good," said Steve Botsford, youth minister of St. Peter Chanel Church in Roswell. "The Sisters added enthusiasm and they had so much charisma. You could tell they really put a lot into the planning."

On Thursday, underneath the hot Toronto sun, pilgrims lined a barricade in a parking lot at Exhibition Place. For many, this was the opportunity of a lifetime, the chance to see the father of their faith-Pope John Paul II-up close. As his helicopter descended, they watched the jumbo screens with anticipation. They crowded together, cameras ready as the pope slowly made his way through the crowd in his popemobile. They waved their arms enthusiastically, some on each other's shoulders, some moved to tears by the 82-year-old pontiff.

Luis Mercado, a seminarian for the archdiocese of Atlanta, said that the pope's arrival was emotional for him.

"When I heard the helicopter descend, I felt something in my heart. All the people screaming and chanting-it was beautiful. You could feel the Holy Spirit and you knew Jesus was there," he said, adding that he had a prime spot right in front of the barricades. "When he passed me, I cried. I wanted to jump in front of the barricades and run and follow him."

Though for many, the sight of teenagers and young adults screaming for a frail 82-year-old man may seem unusual, for MaryAnn Donnelly, who was participating in her second World Youth Day, the appeal is obvious.

"He loves them. He loves them no matter who they are and he loves them unconditionally. Even though he doesn't know them, he loves them anyway," she said. "He not only says it, but he expresses it in different ways. He created World Youth Day. That alone is a testament of his love for them. It's a whole week just for them. A week when the whole world embraces the youth."

Wearing a trademark World Youth Day bandana on her head, Mary Stevenson, an 18-year-old pilgrim and recent high school graduate from St. Michael's Church in Gainesville, said she was given a choice of senior trips and decided against a cruise.

"I wanted to do something profound-something I would remember for the good of it," she said, adding that being in the presence of the young people from so many nations emphasizes the notion of "We are one body."

"It's beautiful to think that you're a part of something bigger than hatred, bigger than greed or fear," she said.

Mary Stevenson, a parishioner of St. Michael's Church in Gainesville, kneels in prayer before Mass at Santa Cruz Church in Toronto.

At the Papal Welcoming Ceremony, the screaming chants of "John Paul II, we love you!," gave way to a hushed silence as the pope greeted them. "Dear young friends," he said, as the cheering began again. "I have been eagerly looking forward to this meeting, especially when day after day from all parts of the world I received in the Vatican good news about all the initiatives that have marked your journey here," he told the pilgrims. "And often, even without having met you, I commended you one by one in my prayers to the Lord. He has always known you, and he loves each one of you personally."

The pope said that the key to happiness lies in the Beatitudes.

"Dear friends, the aged pope, full of years but still young at heart, answers your youthful desire for happiness with words that are not his own. They are words that rang out two thousand years ago. Words that we have heard again tonight: 'Blessed are they . . .' The key word in Jesus' teaching is a proclamation of joy: 'Blessed are they, . . .'" he said. "People are made for happiness. Rightly, then, you thirst for happiness. Christ has the answer to this desire of yours. But he asks you to trust him. True joy is a victory, something which cannot be obtained without a long and difficult struggle. Christ holds the secret of this victory."

Calling the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 the "tragic face of human malice," the pope said "we saw what happens when hatred, sin and death take command," and encouraged the young people to reject the "lure of sin," no matter how attractive.

"Young people listening to me, answer the Lord with strong and generous hearts! He is counting on you. Never forget: Christ needs you to carry out his plan of salvation! Christ needs your youth and your generous enthusiasm to make his proclamation of joy resound in the new millennium," he said. "Answer his call by placing your lives at his service in your brothers and sisters! Trust Christ, because he trusts you."

This was the first of several times that the pilgrims heard from the pope. The culmination of World Youth Day began on Saturday as, armed with backpacks, sleeping bags and the essential water bottles, pilgrims made their way to Downsview Lands, the former Canadian Air Force Base. It was here that they would participate in an evening Vespers service with Pope John Paul and spend the night, waking for the papal Mass.

Pilgrims trying to shield themselves from the hot sun fashioned makeshift homes from cardboard boxes, bed sheets and tarps. The pope again arrived in his helicopter to greet the cheering crowd. At the prayer vigil, select young people of varying nationalities shared with the pope and fellow pilgrims their struggles in their lives. Candles were lit throughout the park, filled with an estimated 800,000 people, creating flickering lights as far as the eye could see.

During the vigil the pope spoke of the stark contrast of the beginning of the new millennium-pilgrims visiting Rome to enter through the Holy Doors at St. Peter's Basilica, and the terrorist attacks on America. He then asked the question, "on what foundations, on what certainties should we build our lives and the life of the community to which we belong?"

He told the young people that the cornerstone must be Christ alone.

"The aspiration that humanity nurtures, amid countless injustices and sufferings, is the hope of a new civilization marked by freedom and peace. But for such an undertaking, a new generation of builders is needed. Moved not by fear or violence but by the urgency of genuine love, they must learn to build, brick by brick, the city of God within the city of man," he said. "Allow me, dear young people, to consign this hope of mine to you: you must be those 'builders'! You are the men and women of tomorrow. The future is in your hearts and in your hands. God is entrusting to you the task, at once difficult and uplifting, of working with him in the building of the civilization of love."

Following the prayer service, some slept and others joined "dance circles" begun spontaneously by pilgrims. Music and chanting could be heard throughout the evening.

With Sunday morning arrived heavy rains and strong winds. Still, rain-soaked pilgrims stood huddled together under umbrellas or tarps, eager to participate in a Mass celebrated by the Holy Father.

The pope, garbed in emerald green vestments, bravely made his way to the stage as the rain began to subside. The sun finally peeked through the clouds as the Holy Father gave his homily. The pilgrims cheered loudly, as the pope, gesturing to the sky, said, "We have the sun!"

The loudest cheers of all came when the pope told the group, "You are young, and the pope is old. Eighty-two years of life is not the same as 22 or 23."

"But," he said, his voice growing stronger, "He still identifies with your hopes and aspirations."

"Although I have lived through much darkness, under harsh totalitarian regimes, I have seen enough evidence to be unshakably convinced that no difficulty, no fear is so great that it can completely suffocate the hope that springs eternal in the hearts of the young."

"Do not let that hope die! Stake your lives on it," the pope urged them. "We are not the sum of our weaknesses and failures. We are the sum of our father's love for us and our real capacity to become the image of his son."

Before he left, the Holy Father announced the next World Youth Day would be held in Cologne, Germany, in 2005.

This was the first World Youth Day for Eric Napierala, a 16-year-old high school junior from St. Theresa's Church in Douglasville. He said he had heard of the great experiences other pilgrims had at World Youth Day 2000 in Rome, and was eager to come to Toronto. He believes that being in the presence of Pope John Paul II has strengthened his faith.

"He's so strong on the inside, even if he's not on the outside. He's very faithful and a great leader. I think this has made me stronger in my faith," he said, adding that he hopes to be bolder in his faith as well. "It's sometimes harder to show in front of other people because you're afraid of being persecuted. But I think that's slowly changing for me. To see all these people are here for the same reason I am really helps me."

Garvin said that World Youth Day is a unique opportunity for young people to see the universal church and to hear the pope's message for them.

"The empowerment that our Holy Father gives our young people is awesome," she said. "You can't go to a World Youth Day without leaving knowing you are an important part of this church."

Botsford believes that for many teens and young adults, World Youth Day is an "eye-opener."

"It's great to watch them unfold and develop in their faith," he said. "You see them begin to realize how big the church really is."

He said, as a youth minister, he hopes to continue to take his teens to World Youth Days.

"If you look on a smaller scale, you have parish retreats and diocesan retreats. Occasionally you have the opportunity to take them to a national conference," he said. "But World Youth Day exposes them to the roots of their faith. The pope is there and the youth of the world. The impact is like nothing else."