In my lifetime, I’ve slept in German castles, walked the Sydney Harbor Bridge and spent a day on a Fijian beach. No, these weren’t luxurious summer vacations. These experiences came as a result of pilgrimages to see my friend Benny. You might know him as Pope Benedict XVI.
Every three years since 1984, the pope gathers with youth from around the world for celebration called World Youth Day. Despite the name, World Youth Day is open to all, regardless of religion or age. This summer, the 13th World Youth Day will be held in Madrid, Spain.
When most people think of Spain, they think of flamenco dancers, matadors and World Cup champions “La Furia Roja.”
When I think of Spain, I think of the adventure of not knowing where my next meal will come from, making new friends and walking miles to a campsite to see the pope.
I went to my first World Youth Day with the Neocatechumenal Way in 2005 in Cologne, Germany. I was 15 years old and had never been out the country. I was terrified at the thought of being in a foreign country. I also thought I’d spend the whole trip just praying from church to church.
What I found was totally different. Every day was a different adventure. One day I was climbing the tallest spire of the Cologne Cathedral. The next I was exchanging stories and having dinner with French pilgrims.
The same happened three years later in Sydney. I got lost in the Blue Mountains, tried Vegemite and almost got run over by a crowd of Croatians when the pope passed in the famous “Pope Mobile.”
Aside from these fun experiences, I enjoy these pilgrimages because they give you a sense of unity with the world. One of my most memorable moments was when I heard a Polish community from the Neocatechumenal Way sing they same song, but in Polish.
We probably wouldn’t have been able to hold a conversation, but there was an unspoken understanding in which we knew where the others were coming from.
Pilgrimages also give you a happiness that seems to be out of this world. When I’m on pilgrimage, I forget about any problems and enjoy not knowing what is going to happen next.
With only four months to go until the pilgrimage, I’ve been doing everything I can to help pay for the trip. For the past year I have been saving work-study checks, babysitting and fundraising through garage sales.
Not a day goes by that I don’t daydream of the adventures that await me in Spain. It happens so much that I have to occasionally pinch myself as a reminder to come back to Earth.
Angie Hernandez is a mass communication junior.
She can be reached at
