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Map of our tour route  Photo by Vincent It is also called the Caminho dos Pastorinhos or Way of the Shepherds. But it certainly isn’t a walk on flat ground, the first part is hiking up a long climbing hill. How we see Fatima now is not how it was in 1917. The village was in the map areas of 2, 3 and 4, and where the Shrine is now was just pastureland for the sheep. Start of the Via Crucis, First Station  Photo by Vincent Via Crucis is Latin for Way of the Cross, and this starting point is map area 1. In this First Station of the Cross, Jesus is sentenced to death. What you can’t see from this angle of photo is Pontius Pilate washing his hands. Each of the Stations is housed in one of these concrete hut-like structures to protect them from the weather, and you have to walk a good distance between each one. On either side of the path are olive groves. Site of 19 August 1917 apparition  Photo by Vincent The monument to this apparition of Mary, mother of Jesus, is located between the 8th and 9th Stations of the Cross: 8. Jesus speaks to the women of Jerusalem, 9. Jesus falls the third time under the Cross. Before the 13 August, when the next apparition in the series was due to happen, government authorities kidnapped the children and held them hostage to prevent the 13 August apparition. But when the children were finally released, and all was back to normal, Our Lady appeared to them here - within a short walk of their village - instead of at the usual meeting place in the Cova da Iria. At this time Mary, mother of Jesus, gave them this message “Pray, pray very much, and make sacrifices for sinners; for many souls go to hell, because there are none to sacrifice themselves and to pray for them.” End of the Via Crucis and its chapel  Photo by Vincent After the 14 Stations of the Cross, pilgrims come to this chapel next. Above is the life size depiction of the Crucifixion scene, and below is a chapel where Mass can be celebrated. The funds for these Stations of the Cross were donated by Hungarian refugees after the 1956 uprising in Hungary; and were built during the 1960s. This chapel is dedicated to St Stephen, the holy king of Hungary, and opened in 1992 in thanksgiving for the liberation of Hungary from communism. From St Stephen’s kingship onwards, no earthly lady was ever to be called queen since he had declared Mary, mother of Jesus, Queen of Hungary. We had a group photo taken here in front of the chapel. Interior of chapel, and altar  Photo by Vincent Possibly the Saints depicted in the stained glass are St Elizabeth of Hungary, St Emeric son of St Stephen, St Stephen himself, and St Adalbert the bishop who baptised St Stephen. Although the female Saint could also be Blessed Gisele, St Stephen’s wife. Roof of Chapel  Photo by Vincent It had this magnificent mosaic on the ceiling. Site of two of the apparitions of the Angel of Peace  Photo by Vincent In the year or so before the 13th of the month apparitions started in May 1917, the three children were visited by the same angel three times. The angel identified himself both as the Angel of Peace and as the Angel Guardian of Portugal, and he also taught them prayers to pray. Here the first and third angel apparition happened; the second occurred near the village well. In Portugal during the 14th to the 17th centuries, devotion to the Angel Guardian of Portugal was high, and there was even a national feast day in the liturgical calendar to honour the Angel. But by World War I, devotion had all but disappeared. From 1952 onwards that national feast day has been reinstated, largely due to these apparitions of the Angel. Lucia’s family home  Photo by Vincent Tired and hot from the climb up the hill of the Stations of the Cross, I ended up near the rear of the back half of our four buses’ worth of pilgrims by the time we got to Lucia’s home. Because everything was so cramped, I only really saw the outside of these village dwellings and not the inside. Lucia’s family barn and stables  Photo by Vincent If you recall the Fatima movie released in 2020, some of those village scenes must have been filmed in this exact location. Jacinta and Francisco’s home  Photo by Vincent These two were siblings, and Lucia was their cousin. We didn’t get anywhere near the well, because a large contingent of American pilgrims were gathered around it. They had either just finished Mass or just finished praying the Rosary there. This was a place where the children often prayed together and played together. Monument to the three children  Photo by Vincent
This monument is placed near a roundabout, and the statues of the children are placed so that it looks like they are walking towards the Shrine. This was my view from the bus on the way back to the hotel. It’s far more effective than a ‘This way to Fatima’ sign. Vincent Cavanagh #bbwyd #wydlisbon #wyd2023 #lisboa2023 10 Aug 2023, 11.48am Portugal: 10 Aug 2023, 8.48pm Sydney
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Thankfully we didn’t have to start travelling the same day as the Closing Mass. The next morning (7 Aug) we did a bit of a debrief in our small groups over morning tea, and then waited for our coaches to arrive for a noon departure. On arrival in Fatima, we settled into our rooms at the Consolata Hotel. This Hotel has two chapels of its own, one for single bus or smaller, and one that fitted our 4-bus group. In that bigger chapel we had our first Mass in Fatima. The Fatima story - in brief On 13 May 1917 as World War I was progressing, to three shepherd children Lucia, Francisco and Jacinta, Mary the mother of Jesus appeared and promised to return on the 13th of each month until 13 October 1917 in Fatima when a great miracle for all to see would happen. As the months progressed Mary taught the children about heaven, hell, and purgatory, about the need for reparation for sin and the need for sacrifices to be offered to obtain the conversion of souls, and her desire for the Rosary to be prayed to end the War. On 13 October a massive crowd gathered in muddy and wet conditions, and they all witnessed the miracle of the sun. Even those from miles around who didn’t go to the apparition site. Newspapers of the time reported on this event. The sun began to spin, give off many colours, and hurtle dangerously close to the earth before resuming its normal position and appearance. In 1930 the Church declared this series of apparitions to be worthy of belief. Jacinta and Francisco have been canonised, and Lucia’s life has passed the test of heroic virtue and may now be called Venerable. Prior to these events in 1917, the same three children received visitations from the Angel of Peace and were taught two prayers, a prayer seeking pardon for others and a prayer of reparation for sin. Back to our pilgrimage The first thing we did on Tuesday (8 Aug) was to get back on our buses and visit where the three children of Fatima lived, and the other apparition sites. -But that deserves a write-up all on its own. On our return, we went to Mass at the new basilica  Photo by Vincent This photo was taken towards the end of that Mass on a 10 x zoom setting. On the far left you can see Archbishop Fisher. This basilica can hold up to 8000 pilgrims. Because we were in Europe we celebrated the memorial of St Dominic, founder of the Dominican order. Archbishop Fisher being himself a Dominican, is probably why he was a visible concelebrant. If we had been in Australia, we would have celebrated St Mary of the Cross McKillop instead, and St Dominic on 3 August. We had a mix of at least 3 different language groups at this Mass which was presided over by a Portuguese prelate. After Mass we went in search of lunch, and then had a relatively brief unstructured time until 3.30pm. Then we met in small groups for journaling and collective reflecting upon our experiences since 21 July. After dinner we prepared to join in the night-time procession. The concept of a procession like this might be difficult for some people to get their heads around. It’s like this. If God permitted Mary to visit us, and to bring God’s messages to us, then it is only proper to express gratitude. The number of people cured of illness during the apparition timeline reminds us that asking Mary to intercede for us before God is a good idea. It isn’t easy to leave a warm hotel to go to a late-night procession, so that’s a penitential element. In this procession all three things are combined: gratitude, intercession and penance. It begins at the main site of the apparitions, which is partly undercover and partly open to the very large, concreted precinct. Here we began by praying the Rosary at 9.30pm.  Photo by Vincent But only one half of one decade of that Rosary was in English. The simplest explanation of the Rosary is that it consists of 5 lots of One Our Father 10 Hail Mary’s and One Glory Be prayers with beginning and ending prayers, and during each decade – or set of 10 Hail Mary’s – you think about an event in the life of Jesus, with either Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful or Glorious themes. Then the candlelight procession began  Photo by Vincent The Cross leads the procession, then the priests, then the pilgrims who carry the statue of Our Lady of Fatima, then the pilgrims who prayed the Rosary at the chapel of the apparitions, and everyone else falls in behind. While we walk there is silence interspersed with the Rosary in many languages at once, or with singing the Fatima hymn which everyone can join in the chorus, ‘Ave, Ave, Ave Maria, Ave, Ave, Ave Maria’. Statue of Our Lady being carried  Photo by Vincent As the procession begins to return to the chapel of apparitions, an honour guard appears, with each selected person holding a flag from a different nation. Assembled flags  Photo by Vincent
When the procession concluded we made our way back to the hotel, in hope of a good night’s sleep prior to our second and last full day in Fatima. Vincent Cavanagh #bbwyd #wydlisbon #wyd2023 #lisboa2023 8 Aug 2023, 11.12pm Portugal: 9 Aug 2023, 8.12am Sydney It is traditional that the location of the next WYD is announced at the end of the Mass with the Pope at the Vigil location. And the next World Youth Day is….  Photo by Vincent …in Seoul, South Korea in 2027. Not earlier because there will be a Jubilee Year gathering of young people in Rome during 2025. So much for my mother’s hopes of an English speaking, southern hemisphere location like New Zealand or even Melbourne. But at least the time difference from Seoul to Sydney is only an hour. Waiting for the next metro  Photo by Vincent This metro line is part of the transport hub of Oriente station, which providentially was within walking distance south of the Vigil site – and even more providentially took us back to within walking distance of our hotel. The transport hub at Oriente station has taxis, buses, metro, local trains and regional trains. Because it was crowded, we had to wait to get in. M & M McFlurry  Photo by Vincent On a very hot day, do pilgrims take their gear and sleeping bags to the hotel first? Not if a McDonalds is on your route. Ice cream first!! Macca’s  Photo by Vincent Then after all the bagels for the meals of the previous 24 hours, comfort food was in order. This is what a burger meal from Lisbon, Portugal looks like. Compared to the burger buns we get at home, this bun was nicer. Only then, after having cooled down and refueled, did we head for our hotel rooms - for showers and to try and catch some sleep after not getting much the night before at the Vigil site. Deconstruction has already begun  Photo by Vincent
The huge stage at Edward VII Park is now under deconstruction, and that’s sad to see because it is a visible sign that World Youth Day Lisbon is over. Despite the crowds, despite the heat, despite all the other inconveniences, it was still a taste of what Heaven’s joy and peaceful unity in diversity will be like. The lyrics from the WYD Sydney theme song continue to hold true: “Every nation, every tribe, come together to worship You. In Your presence we delight, we will follow to the ends of the earth.” Vincent Cavanagh #bbwyd #wydlisbon #wyd2023 #lisboa2023 6 Aug 2023, 1.04pm Portugal: 6 Aug 2023, 10.04pm Sydney On the Saturday (5 Aug), after breakfast, we received a blessing from Bishop Randazzo over all the Broken Bay pilgrims. Bishop’s blessing  Photo by Vincent At the end gave us his advice, as a fellow introvert — "you wouldn't think so" — for dealing with the impending Sensory Overload: take deep breaths, while saying the name of Jesus as you do so. Given the growing heat of the day, and the lingering exhaustion from previous days, I took the opportunity to go on ahead to the Vigil site with the advance team, rather than end up passing out on the 15 km walk to Tejo Park. Irrespective of in–built breaks to the walk, I had no stamina to chance it. On the way  Photo by Vincent On the ride–share towards the Vigil site, we were passed by the Papal Convoy returning from Pope Francis' visit to Fátima. He went to Fatima earlier that morning to pray the Rosary with young people who have special needs. There’s a news report on Instagram that says a young woman with blindness sincerely asked God to heal her of blindness as she prayed that Rosary at Fatima with the Pope, and she was healed. Crowd view  Photo by Vincent Due to the crowds and blocked roads, we continued our way on foot to our designated spot near the WYD Stage/Altar. On my pilgrim credential in large, big black letters is A05, which is code for which area at the Vigil site I needed to go to. Vigil site map  Image from official WYD Lisbon website Please don't be under any illusions, just because we got there early doesn't mean that what we were doing was any less penitential than the tens of thousands of people trekking all the way from central Lisbon. Tarpaulin  Photo by Vincent
Sitting on the ground, with only an umbrella for shade, guarding a near tennis court–sized tarpaulin for your diocesan group against other encroaching dioceses is not fun. Especially not when you're sitting under the Iberian sun for up to 6 hours waiting for all of our Broken Bay pilgrims to finish arriving. The current plan, to do the events at the Vigil site justice, is to write about them once I get home. Unless windows of time open up while I am travelling home, 10-12 Aug, the writing will have to wait until the following week. Vincent Cavanagh #bbwyd #wydlisbon #wyd2023 #lisboa2023 9 Aug 2023, 7.47am Portugal: 9 Aug 2023, 4.47pm Sydney On Wednesday afternoon, 2 Aug, after we visited the Church of St Roch we came to the Church of Our Lady of the Incarnation. This church resides in the ‘little Italy’ area of Lisbon a.k.a. the Chiado district. This church was built in the very early 18th century, and then destroyed by the 1755 earthquake. To rebuild it took a process of over a hundred years. That’s why you can see a lot of baroque and neo-classical elements in it. Confusingly it is across the road from the Church of Our Lady of Loreto of the Italians, and they have similarities in interior shape and in interior appearance. Interior  Photo by Vincent We listened for a short while to a music recital in this church. It was only after we came in that we realised a concert was going on. If you look past the left-hand shoulder of the pilgrim with the red t-shirt, you will see the choir. Tabernacle and altar  Photo by Vincent A closer view of the amazing tabernacle. Below it is an ornate statue of the Virgin Mary, and a little lower you can see the six candles with the Cross in the middle that signifies an altar. It looks like you could put a monstrance in the upper part of that tabernacle structure. In this photo the choir is more obvious. Ceiling/Roof  Photo by Vincent
On the ceiling is an ornate painting of the Incarnation, with the Archangel Gabriel before Mary – who is in a kneeling position -and with the overshadowing rays of the Holy Spirit depicted coming forth from a white dove above Mary. From here our small group of explorers walked down to the river’s edge. On the other bank of the river can be seen the large statue of Christ the Redeemer with His arms outstretched. The statue is on top of a massive plinth structure. Then we found some dinner, and returned to the hotel after dark. Vincent Cavanagh #bbwyd #wydlisbon #wyd2023 #lisboa2023 2 Aug 2023, 8.31pm Portugal: 3 Aug 2023, 5.31am Sydney Before our pilgrimage path takes us away from the city of Lisbon and out to the riverside park where the vigil and closing Mass for WYD was held, I want to back track to Wednesday afternoon. After the very late night and early morning, following the first session of catechesis the next order of business was a siesta. Then with Oliver and a few others we went on an expedition, south of our hotel, to look at some of the older churches nearer to the river, and also find some dinner. Lisbon view  Photo by Vincent The two towers of the facade of Lisbon Cathedral are just visible against the Tagus River. Church of St Roch, interior  Photo by Vincent Our first stop was the Church of St Roch, it is one of the earliest Jesuit churches in the world. In the early 16th century Lisbon experienced plague, and this site was the plague cemetery in that era. Because St Roch is known as the patron saint of plague victims, the then King of Portugal requested a relic of St Roch, and the people began to build a shrine - to display that relic for veneration and intercession- adjacent to the cemetery. It became a Jesuit church in 1553 until the Jesuits were expelled in 1759, when it became the headquarters of a charitable organisation known as the Holy House of Mercy. Why St Roch? He lived in the 14th century and when his parents died, he decided to become a third order Franciscan and to undertake a pilgrimage to Rome depending upon the providence of God. When he reached Rome, he found an epidemic of plague and he set himself to helping the sick. People were cured when he prayed for them, made the sign of the Cross over them and touched them with his hand. For a while he became a hermit, continuing to live dependent upon God’s providence. Eventually he made his way home, and was arrested under suspicion of being a spy, and left to die in prison. When he died, a heavenly scroll was found, on it was written that God had granted to him his prayer: that whoever meekly invokes the intercession of St Roch shall not be hurt with any hurt of pestilence. Close-up view of the altar  Photo by Vincent The top panel depicts Pentecost, the niche underneath it has crowned statues of Mary and Jesus. On either side, the four statues of men garbed in black represent St Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Jesuits, and St Francis Xavier, St Aloysius Gonzaga and St Francis Borga, three very well-known Jesuit Saints. St Aloysius Gonzaga is likely the one on the top right because he died aged 23. Ceiling  Photo by Vincent This elaborate ceiling was painted in the 16th century; and is actually a flat surface but painted on wooden panels to give the illusion that there is a barrel-vaulted roof with three domes. Even the mother house of the Jesuits, the Gesu in Rome, has a ceiling painted in this illusionist style. Madonna del Popolo icon  Photo by Vincent This icon was on display on the left-hand side of the sanctuary area of the church. It is a colourful rendition of the more somber version carried with the World Youth Day Cross, and likewise a more somber version of the original in Rome. Reliquary Altar of the Martyrs  Photo by Vincent The six candles with the crucifix in the middle denote that they are sitting on an altar below the line of sight of the photo. Above is a quite extraordinary collection of the relics of saints, obviously Jesuit martyrs since the church was active during a time of missionary expansion across the world, but also other saints from Europe. Such a collection would take several centuries to gather. The majority of these relics have official papal documentation of authenticity. Statues of the Holy Family  Photo by Vincent
This photo was taken in the Chapel of the Holy Family. Behind the statues - and quite difficult to see properly - is a depiction of the young Jesus among the doctors of the Law. The statues show the Holy Family in standing position, and Jesus as a pre-adolescent boy and not as a baby. Vincent Cavanagh #bbwyd #wydlisbon #wyd2023 #lisboa2023 2 Aug 2023, 8.28pm Portugal: 3 Aug 2023, 5.28am Sydney Waiting to get through the security checkpoint  Photo by Vincent Since Pope Francis’ arrival on Thursday, every major venue we go to from now on, requires us to go through a security checkpoint before entering the major venue. Pope Francis being wheeled on stage  Photo by Vincent Here’s our sightscreen view of Pope Francis’ arrival on stage, which marked the beginning of the Way of the Cross. Another name for this is Stations of the Cross. These 14 stations mark the journey of Jesus from being sentenced to death on the Cross, to His burial in the tomb. Sometimes a 15th Station of the Resurrection is added. With the traditional Way of the Cross, three falls along the path to Calvary are marked, at the 3rd, 7th and 9th Stations. After each fall, Jesus gets up again and continues to the top of the hill of Calvary. At each Station there is usually a meditation on what happened at that Station, some expected response from those gathered, for example an Our Father a.k.a. the Lord’s Prayer, and, when prayed in public, usually a stanza from the Stabat Mater, either said or sung, in between each Station. The Stabat Mater is a 13th century poem about the sorrows of Mary, mother of Jesus, at the Cross of her Son. View of the street behind us.  Photo by Vincent To return to our hotel, we go down this street and take the first right hand turn. You can see from this photo just how full this side street is of pilgrims. This street is perpendicular to Edward VII Park, which looks like a long-sided rectangle from above. Sightscreen showing the third testimony of faith  Photo by Vincent After each of the three Stations that mark a fall of Jesus on his way to crucifixion, there was a personal testimony from a pilgrim. The person in the photo gave the third testimony after the 9th Station of the Cross. My reflection upon the Way of the Cross at WYD The Way of the Cross yesterday was certainly not what I was expecting. It was interpretive breakdancing upon the whole of the altar-stage in Eduardo VII Park. Lisbon of course being a home of breakdancing. Radios were made virtually redundant by how loud the speakers made the announcements of the Stations, coupled with how the orchestra blended into those same announcements. Irrespective of language, the volume all but drowned out any radio translation, with or without headphones. Although we had a good position next to the Marquês de Pombal Monument, we were behind two sets of loudspeaker arrays. Hardly the best position for receiving clear audio. The Vatican's Facebook page was doing a Facebook LIVE video feed, but this was comparatively more delayed than what was being shown on the large sight screens. For example, we could see the Cross (when it wasn't obscured by a tree) being moved across the WYD stage in the distance before the video feed we’d got showed them starting to move it. O the joys, and pains, of long-distance telecommunications. Continue to pray for all those who are constantly working to keep these things up and running so that we can see anything, delayed or not. In the end, for our Australian group at least, we ended up using guess work and a Stations of the Cross card to try and figure out where we were up to when we couldn't hear the Station number. But we could tell when Jesus fell under the Cross three times. There were short, pre-recorded video testimonials of faith and turning back in openness to our Heavenly Father. Thankfully all of them were subtitled, even the last one which was by an American Catholic (USA). At the end of each testimonial the video feed cut to show each person sitting in the crowd, up close to the stage. All of them were caught by surprise when they saw themselves on the big screens. In the midst of all this whirling soundscape of orchestra, dance beats, and Station intentions being read out in multiple different languages, there was a moment to just look around you and truly take in just how massive this all is. The street behind us was filled up back across two, if not three, street intersections. St John Paul II was right in saying that WYD is not so much saying that the church is for young people as telling, and showing, them, "You are not alone." From memory, the experience of the Stations of the Cross at WYD Sydney in 2008 was good if you were in front of the stage or watching it on television. But the experience was very similar to mine if you didn’t have the combination of a good view of the sight screen and good audio. Phone camera ‘zoom-in’ of the Cross being moved in real time.  Photo by Vincent Look for a sightscreen shape, on the right-hand side near the tree line, then look for the long part of the Cross at a 45 degree angle with blue sky on both sides of it. The horizontal beam of the Cross is barely visible behind the screen logo. The close-up camera angles were probably wonderfully dramatic for those watching at home, but they made what was going on near incomprehensible to us. And a view after the Stations of the Cross were over, of the remaining crowd.  Photo by Vincent
There were still a lot of people milling around, possibly waiting for a clearer path to wherever they were off to next. Some would have gone looking for dinner, some would have gone back to their hotels for a rest, and quite a lot of them went to a big ecumenical concert at a stadium where Matt Maher - the Canadian musician-composer - was performing his music, and at which Bishop Barron – founder of Word on Fire, Catholic media organisation - was due to speak. Vincent Cavanagh #bbwyd #wydlisbon #wyd2023 #lisboa2023 5 Aug 2023, 11.23am Portugal: 5 Aug 2023, 6.23pm Sydney Exterior – Our Lady of Grace  Photo by Vincent After Friday Catechesis and before the Stations of the Cross, a few of us had a mini adventure. Together with Oliver and Bettina, we hiked up 7 or 8 sets of steps to see the Church of Our Lady of Grace, also known as Igreja Paroquial da Graca, or as the parish church of the Graca area. Interior – Our Lady of Grace  Photo by Vincent There has been a church here since the 13th century, and because we had to climb so high, there are views over the city. For over 560 years, this place was the home of the hermit friars of the Order of St Augustine. It suffered damage during the 1755 earthquake, and that’s why there’s some Baroque and Rococo elements mixed up with the medieval elements. We didn’t get to stay there very long, because some kind of Ukrainian gathering or catechesis had been going on, and the tone of whatever the speaker was saying felt uncomfortable. Exterior – Church of St Louis of the French  Photo by Vincent After that we walked down to where relics of St Therese of Lisieux were on display at the Church of St. Louis of the French. Because Mass was about to begin, there was only time to kneel, make the sign of the cross, and pray a Hail Mary and leave. That’s also why there’s only an exterior photo and no interior photo. But outside there was a team of parishioners or volunteers, who were re-filling the water bottles of pilgrims. We gratefully accepted their kindness. They were under the white canopy on the far left-hand side of the photo. May God bless them. Interior – Church of St Joseph  Photo by Vincent On our way back to the hotel we were caught by ‘the welcomers’ of the church that housed relics of St Thomas Aquinas and of St Mary Magdalene for the duration of World Youth Day. To get in we needed to go through an entrance door off a courtyard that couldn’t be seen from the street. The altar piece between the two sets of double columns depicts the betrothal of Mary to Joseph. The relic of the skull, only the skull and no jawbone, of St Thomas Aquinas could be seen on the maroon velvet close to the altar. The reliquary holding his skull is new, in honour of the 700th anniversary of his canonization earlier this year. While an icon of St Mary Magdalene was visible; however, where the relic was placed we couldn’t see. Apparently it was a piece of tibia which normally resides at her shrine at Sainte-Baume in France. As you can see, the place was both cramped and crowded, so it was another short kneel, sign of the Cross, simple prayer and back out again. It really wasn’t how I would have wanted to see the relics of these important Saints, but such is life, or should I say, such is World Youth Day. Lunch stop  Photo by Vincent It was Friday, so our meal options had to be meat-less. Because each Friday is a mini-memorial of Good Friday, some small act of penance in union with the great sacrifice of Jesus is right and just, and the traditional way of doing that is eating meat-less. So we tried takeaway from a vegetarian Tibetan restaurant. Who would have thought such a place would be in down-town Lisbon? On the door-posts you can see the World Youth Day logo which indicates that this eatery serves Pilgrim meals. Lunch itself  Photo by Vincent
It was some kind of bean stew, with rice, and with something pickled – maybe a sprout or similar. But it was nice and warm. Thus fortified we went back to the hotel to prepare for the Stations of the Cross. Vincent Cavanagh #bbwyd #wydlisbon #wyd2023 #lisboa2023 5 Aug 2023, 11.43am Portugal: 5 Aug 2023, 6.43pm Sydney The third and last session of catechesis, otherwise known as Rise-Up 3, on Friday 4 August, was thankfully held in a church. And not just any church, the Coleginho de Santo-Antao-o-Velho, a.k.a. College chapel of St Anthony, was the first Jesuit church in the world. St Francis Xavier spent 6 months here before going out on his missionary voyages to India and other places in Asia. The college operated from 1553 until the Jesuits were expelled from Portugal in 1759 by none other than the statesman/diplomat whose bronze image with the lion adorns the big pillar in the huge roundabout next to the park where all the big WYD events happen, except for the vigil and the Closing Mass. While the Jesuits were there, this college was the first free educational institution in Portugal, and "all qualified children who knew how to read and write and were willing to go to confession once a month could attend the College without further conditions." Chapel – External  Photo by Vincent The theme for this catechesis session was Mercy. To teach us that morning, we were given the bishop of Dallas, in Texas, bishop Edward ‘Ed’ Burns. He won our hearts. Bishop Ed  Photo by Vincent Because we had a roof, chapel-specific audio, and pews, it was easy both to hear him, and to take notes. He began his catechesis by returning to when he was a newly ordained priest, in the parish of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, 40 years and 40 lbs ago. (At which the whole church erupted in laughter with him.) A priest who used to minister to the nearby prison moved on from the parish, and in the hubbub of celebrations the ministry to the prisoners was forgotten. It took a prisoner making a formal complaint that his religious rights were not being met to remind the parish and Diocese of their responsibility. When the other priests made arguments for why they couldn't go and do it, the then, Fr Ed Burns willingly put himself forward, and said, "I'm here, I'll do it." (my paraphrase) And so he went and introduced himself to the prison governor, a man who only expected this new priest to "show the collar around", shake hands and say hello. Fr Ed said he'd like to start a bible study, have Eucharist with the inmates, and Reconciliation. That last word was foreign to the governor until the guard in the room with them both, a lapsed Catholic like the governor, translated: "He means Confession." The governor responded, "These prisoners aren't going to want confession, Padre. This is the County Jail. They've not gone to court yet! If you start mentioning 'confession', they'll think you're working for the D.A!" (District Attorney, the prosecution team) To the incredulity of the governor, the Lord God provided 18 prisoners seeking Confession to Fr Ed who readily wrote down their names as proof to the governor. Bishop Ed has what he calls "a handkerchief ministry." When in confession, he hands out his handkerchief whenever the tears start flowing. That’s what happened in that prison to a huge burly mountain of a man who came in and confessed every ill deed he had ever done. When the man tried to give back the handkerchief, Fr Ed said, "Trust me. It's yours!" Later, the cellmate of the burly man came up to Fr Ed asking about confession. The burly man had been still crying after his reconciliation; and had placed the handkerchief upon a cross on the cell wall. When the cell mate asked him what it was about, the burly man told how to him it was a symbol of the forgiveness he had received through reconciliation. Bishop Ed said that this burly tough guy was giving testimony of healing to his fellow prisoner - a testimony of healing through the gift of reconciliation. A gift that we are all called to receive, and to then go and tell to others what God has done for us through reconciling with Him. (Then we went into a time of Adoration before the Blessed Sacrament, and then time for the Sacrament of Reconciliation, followed by time for healing ministry – if desired.) Chapel - Interior  Photo by Vincent In his homily during Mass, Bishop Ed told us “That confusing moments always come. Keep searching for Jesus, as Mary Magdalene kept searching for Him when she found His tomb empty”. Bishop Ed encouraged us to be still and listen, in order to awaken the realization of God’s presence, and to then go awaken your mission to speak of His presence to others. Side chapel, Our Lady of Sorrows  Photo by Vincent Do you remember those taxi rides in Assisi? This seems a good time to share a story Bishop Randazzo told us while we were waiting for one of those taxis. He mentioned that we (the Church members as a whole) tend to overcomplicate the message of evangelisation. It’s good to read up and understand our faith, but evangelisation is more often than not something simple. As an example, he told us that one of our tour guides in Florence was ‘evangelised’ by us saying the Angelus in front of an icon of Mary and Jesus. Afterwards the tour guide walked up to Bishop Anthony and thanked him because the guide had never noticed the wall shrine/s above the shop fronts. The Angelus is a prayer, often said at noon, to remember the visit of the Angel Gabriel, and Mary’s Yes, and the incarnation of Jesus in her womb. Before each of the three Hail Mary’s there is a brief responsory based on Gospel passages, and then a closing prayer. It takes about 3 minutes to pray. Side chapel with statue of Our Lady of Fatima with St Jacinta and St Francisco.  Photo by Vincent
There were many other beautiful artworks in this college chapel, but this one seems appropriate to share; since after World Youth Day finishes on Sunday we will spend a few days in Fatima from Monday before beginning the long journey home. Vincent Cavanagh #bbwyd #wydlisbon #wyd2023 #lisboa2023 4 Aug 2023, 2.39pm Portugal: 4 Aug 2023, 9.39pm Sydney Location, Location  Photo by Vincent We’ve pegged out our spot for the Welcoming Ceremony. Walking to our spot for the Welcome  Photo by Vincent Look at them go; they’re on a mission from God. Pope Francis  Photo by Vincent On his journey around the crowds before reaching the main WYD stage. There was a sense of peace, something like a cloud of peace, around Pope Francis as he was driven around the crowd of pilgrims. Pope Francis speaks  Photo by Vincent What we can see on the sightscreen as Pope Francis gives his address to the crowd of pilgrims. Certainly, look out for the transcript of this address, it was very good. Here’s a paragraph from the English translation of his address (1 pm 4 Aug); only the Spanish translation was available this morning (1 am 4 Aug). God bless all those working as translators for us. “You are not here by accident. The Lord has called you, not only in these days, but from the very beginning of your days. He called you by name. Let us listen to the Word of God that called us by name. Try to imagine these three words written in large letters. Then consider that they were written within you, on your hearts, as if setting the direction of your lives, the meaning of who you are: you have been called by name. Each of us is called by name. You, you and you, all of us here, myself included: all of us have been called by name. Not impersonally, but by name. Think of this: Jesus called me by name. His words are inscribed in our hearts, and we come to realize that they are written in the hearts of every one of us, as a kind of title that tells people who we are, who you are. You have been called by name. None of us is a Christian by chance; all of us were called by name. At the beginning of the story of our lives, before any talents we may have, before any shadows or wounds we may be carrying in our hearts, we were called. Why? Because we are loved. This is something beautiful. In God’s eyes, we are precious children, and He calls us each day in order to embrace and encourage us, to make of us a unique and original masterpiece. Each of us is an “original”, whose beauty we can only begin to glimpse.” We listen to Pope Francis  Photo by Vincent Everyone sitting down and actually listening. His address definitely touched hearts. What I remember most is: ‘God loves you as you are, not as you think you should be (in order to be loved/loveable)’ All flags waving as Pope Francis leaves  Photo by Vincent
We won’t see him again until the Stations of the Cross, tomorrow night, and at the Saturday night vigil, and at the Closing Mass on Sunday. On Saturday morning, Pope Francis is visiting Fatima and spending time with young people who live with illness. Vincent Cavanagh #bbwyd #wydlisbon #wyd2023 #lisboa2023 3 Aug 2023, 8.10pm Portugal: 4 Aug 2023, 5.10am Sydney |
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