Moving forward in faith
Teens gather for local world youth day in Doylestown
Participants arriving at the Shrine. Youth took turns carrying the cross, some carried banners while all were invited to pray and sing along the route. (Maria Tucker)
By Arlene Edmonds
Special to The CS&T
DOYLESTOWN — While approximately 600,000 attended the closing Mass of World Youth Day in Australia, more than 500 Delaware Valley young people braved the heat and humidity to participate in their own version of World Youth Day. The event was sponsored by the archdiocesan Office of Youth and Young Adults and was held on the grounds of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa in Doylestown this past weekend. There the youth engaged in a pilgrimage, attended many spiritual activities, and even listened to recorded messages of Pope Benedict XVI from Sydney.
There were clearly three positive by-products of the Local World Youth Day event. First, many youth groups in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia were expanded, revived or even started to participate in this weekend’s event. Secondly, the Allentown Diocese participated in the Philadelphia-hosted experience, and thirdly, Catholic youths and families from various parts of the region were able to widen their association with each other.
Volunteers Mary Beth Arechabala and Eileen R. Ritter came from Mother of Divine Providence Parish in King of Prussia. The excitement about last weekend’s World Youth Day in Australia and the next one slated to be held in Spain sparked Deacon Richard Smith to start a youth group at their parish, they said.
“We have 18 of the 32 in the group here for this and we are just so excited,” said Arechabala, who has been a member of the parish for 17 years. “I know that this will produce bonding between the young people. When my 21-year-old was in high school I wish they had events like this.”
Ritter agreed. She said that she is optimistic that the Local World Youth Day sparked interest among the teenagers in her parish. “No one took ownership of doing anything like this before, so this will bring all the youths together,” she said.
Perhaps no one was more excited about the experience than the group of middle school students from Immaculate Heart of Mary parish in Roxborough. Among those present were Erin Snyder, Lauren Toal, Lauren Flemming and Mary Kate McGuire. Chaperone Mary Beth Snyder said she hoped that they left “with a feeling of camaraderie” with the other young people from the various parishes.
“I think it’s important to find ways to express our faith,” said 13-year-old Erin Snyder. “God has given us so much, so we have to learn to give back. It’s good to respect that fact and do something positive.”
“I feel that by coming here I will (discover) my purpose in serving God,” said 12-year-old Flemming. “I want to either be president of the United States or work as a wildlife biologist, so I think this will give me a better idea of how I can do that and serve God. I also think this is fun.”
The Gilberts of Easton decided to make the local youth event a family affair. Bruce and Gina Gilbert brought along 18-year-old Taryn, 17-year-old Tasia, 15-year-old Teara, 13-year-old Jewel, and 11-year-old Jorne to the Saturday program. They had prepared for the weekend by watching the opening Mass and other World Youth Day programs live from Australia on EWTN.
“We wished we could’ve gone to Australia, but this is the next best thing,” Gina Gilbert said. “I homeschool my children and we go to Mass often, at least every Sunday and sometimes daily. Faith is an important part of our lives and we try to bring the children to all positive activities where they can learn more about their faith. We were so excited and we know we will have plenty to talk about when we return home.”
“We’re all part of a new Easton-area Catholic youth group that combines the youth of four parishes,” said Kelly DeRamons, who worships with the Gilberts at St. Anthony’s Parish. “It’s really cool to have us all combined like this because soon we will be forming one parish and the kids will already know each other. Now with this we get to know others from other areas, too.”
Peggy Dominick of St. Jude Parish in Chalfont was selling hand-made rosaries as a fundraiser for youth activities at her church. She is a religion studies teacher at St. Stanislaus School in Lansdale. She had her seventh and eighth grade students make over 100 rosaries for the Local World Youth Day event. “The class was excited that they could participate in this way even though some couldn’t make it here,” Dominick said.
Mary Ellen Johns, director of the Allentown Diocese’s Office of Youth and Young Adults, said her office jumped at the chance to participate in last weekend’s program when the Philadelphia Archdiocese invited them. She hopes this is the beginning of the two dioceses working together.
“This gives the youths in our diocese a chance to meet new people who share their faith,” Johns said. “I hope that when our young people return that we will have a brainstorming session to share the new ideas (generated) from this. I think it’s important to give our young people something to do like this in a safe atmosphere that will help them grow in their faith.”
Chaperone Peter Koch was waiting for a shuttle outside the shrine on Saturday afternoon along with St. Charles Borromeo seminarian Orlando Aso, and 18-year-old Clair Clarke. Koch said that there were eight from the Allentown area who participated in last weekend’s event, and he hoped that they would be motivated to be involved in more missions after this weekend.
“Besides facing the sweat and the mosquitoes out here hopefully all the young people will feel a sense of spiritual renewal this weekend,” said Orlando, who was assigned to work with St. Elizabeth Parish and chaperoned five youngsters. “I know the young people are proud to be able to represent their parish since they could not be in Australia.”
Clarke, a freshman at Northampton Community College, readily admitted that it was the fact that the youths would be sleeping outside that attracted her interest. “I am an outdoors person and I love anything to do with nature,” she said. “I am also involved in my youth group because I’ve been involved in things like feeding the homeless and raising money for my church, St. Rocco’s. I think something like this encourages us to work together because giving is how we should all live our lives.”
Saturday’s activities started at 2 p.m. with a check-at St. Jude Parish in Chalfont. The young people, chaperones and other volunteers were then shuttled to the other side of the grounds to prepare for their two-mile pilgrimage that kicked off at 3 p.m. An hour later, there was a group check-in, a set up of the sleep area in the outside pavilion, dinner, and music.
The day’s live entertainment included the group C2C (Committed to Christ) under the direction of Michael Meade. Meade plays lead guitar and sings with the ensemble. He was joined by high school student vocalist Chelsea Meade, drummer Ed Razzi, bassist Sam Haines and bassist Wyatt Jones.
“We put this group together for this celebration but we plan to keep the group going,” said Michael Meade, a music teacher. “Music can be used as a means to reinforce all that we are learning today. We are having a great day, and we plan to be available in the fall for other faith events.”
After hearing the evening’s keynote speaker, Todd Lemieux, all listened to a delayed broadcast of Pope Benedict’s message from World Youth Day in Sydney, Australia. This was followed by a lighted evening prayer and procession from the pavilion to the main church.
While there some of the young people engaged in adoration, others went to the St. Anne Chapel for reconciliation or to the Rosary Garden for a walking rosary. The night culminated with various mini-workshops on Mother Teresa and Padre Pio, and the movie Sister Act on the grass of the retreat center. After the midnight benediction it was time for “Sleeping Under the Stars Bed Time.”
The itinerary on Sunday began with breakfast beginning at 7 a.m. and a delayed broadcast of the World Youth Day’s Closing Mass in the Pavilion. After the sleep area clean-up at 9:30 a.m., the young people had their own Mass on the front steps of the shrine. The homilist was Msgr. James Beisel, vicar for Bucks County.
Arlene Edmonds is a freelance writer, private piano teacher, and St. Raymond of Penafort parishioner. She may be reached at ArleneEdmonds@aol.com.
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