Celebrating Easter at the heart of the Church in Rome with other young Catholics from around the world was a huge privilege and a very enriching faith experience. The School hosted an Easter Tridium retreat for young people from Holy Thursday – Easter Sunday (April 5th-8th). The students organised the retreat in conjunction with the ESM team and welcomed young people from several countries including England, Ireland, Scotland, Poland, Czech Republic and Slovenia to Rome for the four days. Over the course of the retreat we attended the Chrism Mass on Holy Thursday and the Easter Sunday Mass with Pope Benedict XVI at St. Peter’s Basilica and St. Peter’s Square respectively. We also presented a re-enactment of the Via Crucis at St. Peter’s Square on Good Friday which was recorded on video and is available to view via YouTube – a very moving experience to be part of. A Zenit article describes in more detail what it meant to re-enact the scene of the final hours before Christ’s death amid the thousands of pilgrims and tourists visiting Saint Peter’s Basilica. The other Easter liturgies and pilgrimages were held in various locations including the Centro San Lorenzo International Youth Centre.
On Palm Sunday we had the privilege of carrying the palm with groups of other young people for the Palm Sunday liturgy at St. Peter’s Square. Some of the students did readings at the Mass which was a special day for all young people, the occasion of the celebration of the 27th World Youth Day. The theme of this year’s WYD was “Rejoice in the Lord always” (Phil 4:4). Pope Benedict XVI greeted all the youth who had travelled from many countries with a special message, encouraging them to make Palm Sunday a day of decision to follow Christ all the way – a decision that leads to true joy. The Holy Father gave young people the example of Saint Clare of Assisi, founder of the Poor Clares when, “on Palm Sunday 800 years ago, inspired by the example of Saint Francis and his first companions, she left her father’s house to consecrate herself totally to the Lord. She was eighteen years old and she had the courage of faith and love to decide for Christ, finding in him true joy and peace”.
We also assisted with the music and attended part of the recent international meeting, organised by the Pontifical Council for the Laity for those involved in youth ministry, to reflect on World Youth Days and make preparations for the upcoming WYD in Rio de Janeiro in 2013. It was a great experience to meet some of the delegates from 98 countries who were representing 45 communities, associations and Catholic youth movements. We recently visited some of the Congregations of the Faith at the Vatican where we were able to learn more about their work and get a greater insight into the universal Church. Being at the heart of the Church here in Rome has given me a greater understanding of that universality, and also of the richness of the faith and teachings of the Catholic Church and the lives of the saints which I have had the opportunity of learning about in more depth this year. For me the search for authentic happiness and real joy involves being faithful to the Church and to the challenge of constantly renewing my commitment to follow Christ and to be missionary in my heart, choosing love, the great challenge of living the Christian life. As Pope Benedict says in his message for World Youth Day “To have lasting joy we need to live in love and truth. We need to live in God”. A great challenge indeed.
