Fr Alan MSC: The Surprising Grace of Hospitality – Part 1

 

Ten days in Addis Ababa was unavoidable. If you want to get a Schengen Visa for four South Sudanese pilgrims to go to World Youth Day (WYD) in Lisbon there really is no other way other than through Ethiopia. In fact, conventional wisdom among those familiar with the ins and outs of international travel would have said that ten days was being wildly optimistic. Holding on to hope, Sr. Beta, a wonderful Portuguese Comboni Sister, four young South Sudanese women, and myself began the first leg of our pilgrimage into the unknown as we tried to make our way to Lisbon to join 1,500,000 other young Catholics for World Youth Day.

 

Traditionally every three years the Pope calls young people from around the world to gather, to pray, to serve, and to celebrate their faith. The invitation is always responded to enthusiastically. Beginning with Pope John Paul II in 1985, millions subsequently came to cities like Rome, Sydney, Madrid, and Buenos Aires. Lisbon was my fifth WYD, having previously attended Cologne, Rio, Krakow, and Panama. They are week long events, sleeping on school floors, enduring cold showers, and queueing for two hours to get something to eat at Burger King. If you think it sounds like hell, you couldn’t be more wrong – most of the time. In fact, it is in the chaos, where young Catholics from every corner of the planet come together to remind us as Jesus says in John 17 that we are one. But more on that later.

World Youth Day is a special kind of Spirit filled chaos. Here is one from our time in Krakow in 2016.

 

To get there though would require a miracle, but miracles are never in short supply if you have eyes to see. On arriving in Addis we were warmly welcomed by Sr. Marisa, the head of the Comboni Sisters. We threw our bags into the back of the land cruiser and had our first experience of the Ethiopian national sport, contact driving. To say that the Ethiopians practice a certain Fast and Furious approach to driving would be an understatement. This is no place for the timid or the fearful. You drive with joyful abandon where the rules of the road are really more like vague suggestions and the person driving alongside you is just an enemy you haven’t met yet. It’s nothing personal though.

 

By the time our lives finished flashing before our eyes with arrived at our home for the next ten days in an area of Addis incongruously called Mexico. The community of Comboni Sisters could not have been more welcoming and were delighted to have the six of us invade their home. While we were there we joined them in the rhythm of their daily life, including prayer, meals and community time. It was an eyeopener for the young women with us, the first of many.

While we applied to the Spanish Embassy, with the help of the Portuguese Embassy, for their visas, we also took advantage of the opportunity to see something of Addis. We were able to visit the National Museum of Ethiopia and see the fossilised remains of Lucy, an early human ancestor from 3.2 million years ago. We also saw the progress underway in the Addis Science Museum, walked the many parks around and outside the city, and took part in a traditional cultural night. Food and dance are important parts of Ethiopian hospitality, so along with all the sisters we sallied forth for an evening of injera and Eskista.

 

The typical food of the Ethiopians is a thin bitter pancake served in a large platter. All the different sauces, meat and vegetables are dotted around the pancake and you, along with all your companions, eat with your hands from the same dish, tearing a piece of the pancake to pick up the food. The idea is that everything is held in common to be shared equally and nothing is hidden. It is substantial and spicy, so first timers like myself needed to be careful, but not too careful. Eskista, the traditional dance, would give Riverdance a run for its money. Whereas Irish people all about moving the feet for Eskista it’s all in the shoulders. The entire South Sudanese group went up on stage, including myself, and I would like to think we did amazingly well – the girls did at any rate.

One of my favourite quotes from St. Augustine is: “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” So in addition to exposing our group to Ethiopian culture we also used the time to get them ready for World Youth Day and life in Europe. They took lessons in Portuguese to help them break the ice with their fellow pilgrims. We explored some of the hopes and challenges we would most likely face when we got there. Finally, we looked at the theme of WYD, “Mary arose and went in haste,” and reflected on how we were called to mission.

 

In no time at all we were called by the wonderful team in the Spanish Embassy. Our prayers had been answered. Everything was ready. The visas were issued. Ethiopia had been a revelation for all of us and we would carry their sense of warmth and hospitality with us as we continued our journey. Next stop: Lisbon. Everything was going perfectly, until suddenly it didn’t.

 

To be continued …

World Youth Day 2019 Panama

From the 22nd to the 27th of January 2019 World Youth Day is going to take place in Panama in Central America and the MSC Vocations Team is going to be there. If you want to be part of the largest youth event on the planet read on …

 

What is World Youth Day?

WYD is an encounter of young people from all around the world with Pope Francis in a fun, faith filled atmosphere. It draws people from every corner of the world for an unforgettable experience. “WYD is much more than an event. It is a time of deep and spiritual renewal; its fruits benefit the whole of society” (Benedict XVI). It is an extraordinary way of sharing faith to strengthen youth in our Church. WYD is held every three years and the last one was held in Krakow (Poland) in 2016.

 

Great, so what’s the point?

The initiator and first promoter of WYD was Saint John Paul II, who started this movement in order to enhance our personal encounter with Christ, which is life-changing. WYD also promotes peace, unity, and fraternity among people and nations, commissioning the youth as ambassadors of this message. When you gather for the World Youth Day Vigil with millions (and I do mean millions) of other young people you are reminded that you are part of something global, faith filled and amazingly joyful.

 

 

What actually happens?

WYD is a multi-day event with two main group of events: the first one is related to the “Days in the Dioceses”, during which the participants visit to different dioceses in the host country, and on this particular occasion, other Central American countries. During these days before WYD, pilgrims interact with local families (who host them) and strengthen their faith through activities with the communities in the parishes. In Krakow we built a multi-sensory garden for people with disabilities and helped to run a youth ministry programme in the local parish.

The second group is the “Main Events”, referring to the activities planned in the host city: the opening Mass, the welcoming of the pope, the way of the cross, the vigil with the Holy Father and the final Mass. It’s an opportunity to meet with other young people from all around the world. There were millions of youth at both Rio and Krakow and the atmosphere is incredible.

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World Youth Day

What is World Youth Day?

Every three years, young Catholics from around the world come together for World Youth Day (WYD), gathering in the spirit of prayer, celebration, reflection, and above all, joy. The WYD celebrations give young people a chance to grow together in their faith, sharing their hopes, prayers, and aspirations in the company of millions of others who are there to offer encouragement, strength, and support. World Youth Day is a uniquely powerful expression of the universality of the Catholic Church, and has quickly become a highlight of the festival calendar.

The celebrations take place in a different city every three years. In 2013, Rio de Janeiro hosted the festivities, 2016 saw the gathering take place in Krakow, Poland, and in 2019, young people from all over the world came together in Panama, to celebrate their relationship with God and with each other, and to take the opportunity to attend an audience with the Pope. From Mission Week to the Pope’s address, the World Youth Day festivities are invariably a resounding success – and the countdown has already begun ahead of the next WYD festival, due to take place in Lisbon in 2022.

How did it all begin?

In 1984, as the Holy Year of Redemption drew to a close, Pope St John Paul II issued an open invitation to young people all over the world, asking them to join together for an International Jubilee of Youth in St Peter’s Square. The response was overwhelming, and on Palm Sunday, over 300,000 young people from different cultures and different nations came together in a jubilant celebration of faith.

On this day, Pope St John Paul II passed on what is now known as the World Youth Day Cross, a symbol of Christ’s love for humanity to be carried across the world. Welcoming all who had travelled to Rome, he said:

“What a fantastic spectacle is presented on this stage by your gathering here today! Who claimed that today’s youth has lost their sense of values? Is it really true that they cannot be counted on?”

This initial gathering marked the beginning of something special. The following year, Palm Sunday coincided with the United Nations’ International Year of Youth. Once again, the Pope invited the youth of the world to join him in Rome, and once again, the reaction was overwhelmingly positive. The institution of World Youth Day was announced later that year, on December 20th, 1985, and the first official World Youth Day celebrations took place in 1986, in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Reflections on World Youth Day

Initiated by Pope St John Paul II, the success of these gatherings have made them an international institution that are planned for and looked forward to with joyous anticipation. John Paul II’s final celebration of International World Youth Day took place in Toronto in 2002. Speaking to a crowd of 800,000, he said:

“When, back in 1985, I wanted to start the World Youth Days… I imagined a powerful moment in which the young people of the world could meet Christ, who is eternally young, and could learn from him how to be bearers of the Gospel to other young people. This evening, together with you, I praise God and give thanks to him for the gift bestowed on the Church through the World Youth Days. Millions of young people have taken part, and as a result have become better and more committed Christian witnesses.”

World Youth Day can be seen as John Paul II’s legacy to young Christians all over the world, a legacy that has been faithfully carried on in his stead, first by Pope Benedict XVI and now by Pope Francis. The sense of joy and strength in faith that comes from a shared experienced is reinforced year by year, embracing both the young and the young at heart. In 2013, Pope Francis reflected:

“Dear young people, I saw you in the procession as you were coming in; I think of you celebrating around Jesus, waving your olive branches. I think of you crying out his name and expressing your joy at being with him! You have an important part in the celebration of faith! You bring us the joy of faith and you tell us that we must live the faith with a young heart, always: a young heart, even at the age of seventy or eighty.”

Unity, celebration, and togetherness: this is the message that International World Youth Day proclaims, and this is the essence of spirit in which we endeavour to live on a daily basis.

“Young people must say to the world: to follow Christ is good; to go with Christ is good; the message of Christ is good; emerging from ourselves, to the ends of the earth and of existence, to take Jesus there, is good!”

Pope Francis, 2013

CHECK OUT THE MSC VOCATIONS BLOG FOR MORE FROM WYD

World Youth Day 2016 Part 2 – The Gathering

After an amazing week with the parish community of St Mark’s outside Warsaw we finally arrived in Kraków. There we were joined by Sarah, Anne Marie and the pilgrims from our Dublin a Parish. Our hotel was already full of Malawians and Canadians pilgrims, giving you an idea of the wonderful diversity of World Youth Day. The following day was about getting ourselves orientated and making our way to the Blonia, where all the big events in the run up to the WYD would take place.

The opening Mass and the concert that followed were full of joy and music, but it was the journey home that I remember. There were conga lines of every nationality making their way back into the city centre, as well as high five relays with Polish seminarians. As with every other WYD I’ve been to, the train stations get packed, but the atmosphere is always good humoured. (more…)

World Youth Day 2016 – The Road to Krakow

The MSC small group with Beth and Ellie, our amazing leaders. There really are no words to describe World Youth Day. It’s an incredible event for the seventeen of the MSC pilgrims, coming from Galway, Cork, Dublin and London. We joined up with the Archdiocese of Birmingham for the 40 hour drive / flight / taxi / bus / ferry / bus trip to Poland. However, before you know it were in the parish of St. Marks, Łomianki, just outside of Warsaw. There was an incredibly joyful group of parishioners, who were delighted to welcome us to our Mission Week.

 

Mission Week is an essential part of the WYD experience. It’s about taking the time to ground your faith in acts of service. This is especially important during Pope Francis’ Year of Mercy. We’re told to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, bury the dead, shelter the homeless, care for the sick, and visit the imprisoned.
 

Altogether there was 120 pilgrims in the group, who were divided over a variety of projects. We don’t tick every box during Mission Week, but we were close.

 

 

 

 

 

The first team headed to Sadawa, a residential home for people with disabilities, to build a multi sensory garden. They had to dig up paths, decorate jumbo pots, and paint a sail boat. They also managed to fit in time for bike rides through the forest, dancing, as well as arts and crafts. The next group built a Rosary walk in a home for the elderly. Another spent a few days entertaining the kids at a local paediatric hospital with drama and music. The rest of us were in the park organising few days of games and activities for local children. It was pretty manic, but we had loads of help from Ola and the members of the Łomianki youth group. They were just brilliant.

 

 

 

By Sunday the songs were sung, the garden dug, and pots were planted. Bishop William Kenney CP blessed the sensory garden and Rosary walk and then we all headed for a barbecue – as you do. The next morning our Polish families saw us off on the bus and we began our journey to Kraków. On the way we visited Wadowice, the birth place of Pope John Paul II. We also paid our respects in Auschwitz Concentration Camp. It was a sobering reminder about the world’s need for justice and mercy.

 

Late on Monday evening we finally arrived at the Junior Krakus in Kraków, tired but excited for Week 2 of World Youth Day!

 

Answering God’s Call – Vocations 2014

It’s been a busy year. There’s an understatement. It’s like saying that Pope Francis is doing a pretty good job. Strictly speaking it’s true, but it doesn’t do the year or our new Pope justice. Our MSC vocations ministry programme has taken us from all over Europe to the US to Brazil to South Africa to Venezuela and back. More than that though it has been an amazing year filled with countless opportunities to journey with people reflecting on their call to be a priest or brother with the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart. We’ve been at festivals, walked the Camino, took part in World Youth Day on the Copacabana Beach, and organised ‘Vocations Road Trips’ to name a few of our events. We also launched our hugely successful Missionaries of the Sacred Heart Volunteering Programme, with three volunteers working in the Holy Family Care Centre, South Africa.

 

While it has been busy, it has also been a graced time. Each of these events have created a space that allowed people to reflect on their lives and discern how God was calling them. They were about celebrating faith and reminding us that God has a plan of everyone, a plan that encourages us to be our truest selves. It can at times be challenging, even difficult, but it is the one that leads to the deepest joy and fulfillment that we can know.

 

Now we’re getting ready for 2014. It’s a new year and it’s full of promise. We’re already looking at new and exciting festivals, including the Spirit in the City in London and Kingdom Come in Walsingham. We are developing our work on the Camino by organising a young adult pilgrimage and taking part in a ministry of welcome in Santiago Cathedral. World Youth Day was the big event of last year, but this August we’re planning to take a group to Medjugorje for the Annual Youth Festival. exploreAway has begun in Dublin with seven people seriously reflecting on their vocation. We’re planning to set up a Samuel discernment group for the north of London. As usual we’ll be in Lourdes on pilgrimage over Easter with the HCPT / Irish Pilgrimage Trust. Finally we’re expanding our volunteering programme in South Africa for those who want an experience of missionary life in a range of challenging, but amazing projects that make a real difference.

 

If you feel that you might be called by God to explore a vocation to priesthood or religious life you would be most welcome to get in touch with us by phone or email. We’re always happy to have a chat and coffee and see where that may take us. That first step can be a bit daunting, but it could be one of the best decisions you ever made.

 

If you thought that 2013 was busy, you ain’t seen nothing yet!

World Youth Day 2013 Faith and Celebration

Following World Youth Day in Rio 2013 some of the young people with the MSC Vocations team reflect on the week’s highlights.

Kieran Torbuck

One of my favourite experiences of the World Youth Day (WYD) so far had to be the visit to the Sugar Loaf Mountain. Despite the wind and cold, spirits were high as pilgrims from the world over united in song and chants, sharing photos and gifts. This was our first real experience of the WYD atmosphere and I’m pleased to say that it only grew bigger throughout the week as we made new friends.

The Opening Ceremony was another highlight for me, since although we were divided for our group it was easy to meet other groups and everyone was happy to mix and invite us in. For me, it is this feeling of togetherness, unity and celebration that has made WYD such a fantastic experience. (more…)

Pope Francis wants a mess after WYD 2013

We all suspected something different was happening when the newly elected Pope first knelt down and asked for the people’s prayers before he gave his first blessing. It seems however that Pope Francis has exceeded those expectations and as his papacy continues he challenges the young people of the world at World Youth Day to be agents of the Holy Spirit. When asked about his hopes for World Youth Day Pope Francis replied:

“What is it that I expect as a consequence of World Youth Day? I want a mess. We knew that in Rio there would be great disorder, but I want trouble in the dioceses! […] I want to see the church get closer to the people. I want to get rid of clericalism, the mundane, this closing ourselves off within ourselves, in our parishes, schools or structures. Because these need to get out!” (more…)

Fr. Alan meets Francis in World Youth Day

Okay, so the title is a little misleading, but the event itself is spectacular! MSC Vocations is over in Rio for World Youth Day 2013. The weather is perfect! We’re right next to Copacabana Beach! Pope Francis is en route! The atmosphere is AMAZING! Over the week you can follow our blog to keep up to date with all that’s happening in Brazil for the largest youth gathering on the planet!

Day 1 Next Stop Rio (more…)

World Youth Day at Brightlights Festival

A Catholic youth festival! In England! Surely such a thing is a contradiction in terms. It’ll probably be dull. There’ll be Mass on all day. Who’d want to go? It’s a pretty typical response from some people when they hear about the Brightlights Youth Festival – long, boring and preachy. In fact nothing could be further from the truth. (more…)

Vocations Ireland Summer Seminar

Yesterday was all about engagement. It’s more than just a buzz word. It’s about looking at how we as a Church in general and as vocations directors in particular outreach to young people. Sixty vocations directors from a wide variety of religious congregations gathered in the Emmaus Centre in Dublin to share, brainstorm and realise new and exciting ways of making contact with people considering a call to religious life and the priesthood. (more…)

Pope Francis speaks about WYD 2013 in Rio

It’s getting nearer and the excitement is building! It’s less than four months to WYD 2013 and we’re all getting ready for our trip to Rio. It was hoped that there would be over 3,000,000 people in attendance, but now it’s going to be at least 3,000,001. Pope Francis gave special emphasis to importance of young people in our Church during his recent Palm Sunday homily. He invited young people from all around the world to stand together, celebrate their faith and grow in love. So far Pope Francis has stressed the role of all young people in building up the future of the Church. He clearest message was made, not with words, but with actions, when he washed the feet of some young people in  juvenile detention centre of Casal del Marmo, Rome. This symbolic gesture is a key part of the Holy Thursday celebration, echoing Jesus’ challenge for each of his followers to serve those in need. (more…)