Fifteen students who spent 15 days away from home would have to make up for what they missed in class, but their World Youth Day (WYD) experience earned them something not taught in school: a pilgrimage of faith with the new Pope and thousands of young people from all over the world.
Out of 83 applicants screened September last year, 15 college students and a Faculty of Medicine and Surgery alumna made it as official UST delegates to the 20th WYD in Cologne, Germany after fulfilling requirements that involved rigorous application processes and the stressful task of raising airfare and pocket money through solicitations.
The delegates were greeted with a draft of chilly August breeze as they got off the plane at Frankfurt, Germany. Nervous but excited, they boarded a service bus to Düsseldorf already looking forward to spending their time together, only to find out that the WYD organizers had something new for them.
“It was only on our way to Düsseldorf when we were informed that we will be staying with host families,” says Albert Loteyro, Campus Ministry assistant to the director. “It was different from the previous WYD because the University preferred to keep its delegates in a single venue so as not to compromise their security in a foreign land.”
Off the bus at Düsseldorf, the delegates made their way to their German host families reluctantly, but surprisingly found a home away from home.
“Living with German families whose culture and race are far different from ours was a rewarding experience because we learned something from them even if some of them are non-Catholics,” says Prof. Catalina Lituañas, Institute of Religion faculty secretary.
During the WYD celebration, the delegates walked to the venue without feeling the weariness of the five-kilometer walk from their host families’ homes looking forward to the day’s event.
“Ang pakikipagsiksikan sa tren at paglalakad ng malayo are parts of the WYD experience,” Loteyro recounted. “But seeing the delegates, especially the students, interact with other foreign delegates is already a fulfillment of the purpose of the WYD.”
The pilgrimage
They roamed the world in 15 days, laughing, dancing and praying with fellow delegates from around the globe at the opening mass of the WYD at the LTU Arena in Düsseldorf. From solemn prayers to lively concerts, the delegates shared their dreams, fears and experiences through daily recollections and prayer vigils.
Upon reaching Cologne on Aug. 18, they joined hands in welcoming the Holy Father to the Marienfeld, where they spent a night of vigil with him.
Delegate Roan Marbert Gomez, a Mechanical Engineering junior, recalls the last day of the pilgrimage. “All the lights were switched off and the only source of light was the glow from our candles. It was almost magical.”
For Gomez, the most memorable part of the trip was their travel to Marienfeld, the last venue for the pilgrimage.
“To get there, we had to use the public train with almost 800,000 people but it was fun. We had to literally sleep on the field under the cold night,” Gomez says.
With the 20th WYD celebration still fresh in their minds, the delegates took long bus and plane rides to neighboring countries of France and Italy, where they had extended their pilgrimage.
Home to some of Christendom’s holy places like St. Peter’s Basilica and the Sistine Chapel, Rome was definitely a place they did not dare miss. They even got the chance to visit late the Pope Paul II’s tomb before leaving for Manila last Aug. 29.
“It was a different experience to be near the late Pope’s grave,” AB Economics junior Tedrick Yau says. “Being able to pay our last respects to him was a solemn moment for us. Even though he was absent in the WYD, his memory will always be present in the next WYD celebrations to come.”
For Lituañas, her most memorable part of the trip was the extended pilgrimage in Lourdes, France, where St. Bernadette Soubirous discovered a miraculous spring.
“It is only at Lourdes where I had a unique praying experience,” Lituañas said. “When I get old, I want to return to Lourdes to experience the same peace again.” Kris P. Bayos and Mary Joy T. De Lara
