By MINA AMSO
The Church is alive. That’s the revelation realised by Auckland’s Niel Kulkarni after coming back from World Youth Day [WYD] in Portugal.
“The Church is truly alive! After seeing such a multitude of young people from different nations all in love with God, I have definitely expanded my view of what it means to be part of the Catholic family,” he said.
Mr Kulkarni set out to Lisbon a few weeks ago to meet Pope Francis, along with 126 other Kiwi pilgrims and 1.5 million Catholics from around the world.
Mr Kulkarni said that he gained a deeper appreciation for the maternal nature of the Church.
“In a sense the [Church is a] mother who gathers her children from far and wide for her bridegroom, our Lord.”
On the other hand, St Joseph’s Catholic Church (Takapuna) volunteer and youth leader Talitha Pereira was motivated to escape the “unhealthy haste” of daily life to seek a space where a healthier sense of haste could thrive.
“I don’t think you have to just be a young person to experience unhealthy haste – often, life races past with work and commitments, causing us to miss moments of real person to person investment,” she said.
“The WYD theme of Mary rising with a wholesome haste deeply resonated with me. She received an extraordinary gift and felt compelled to share it. So, in responding to why I went, I also found the answer to why I yearned to return.”
Reflecting on her World Youth Day encounter, Ms Pereira marvelled at how her expectations were not merely met, but were exceeded in unexpected ways. Amid the symphony of the 1.5 million youthful voices and vibrant colours, she discovered that God’s messages often found their way into the in-between moments.
“He spoke in the conversations we had waiting for an event to begin, he spoke as we broke open his word in small groups, he spoke even in the silence of adoration seeing him kanohi ki te kanohi.
“This reminded me that one doesn’t have to travel seven seas to encounter God – he is merely waiting for us to lean into him wherever we are, physically and spiritually.
“I had a Peter moment when I wanted to stay at the top of the mountain and set up an airbnb, but it’s back down in everyday life with our everyday people that God calls us to be the greatest witness.”
Among the standout moments for Ms Pereira was a Mass celebrated in the serene woods of Pampilhosa de Serra, Portugal.
“There was something beautiful about being taken away from the chaos to be drawn into a moment with God,” she shared.
The message on vocations deeply resonated with her—a call not solely to religious life, but to be the best versions of themselves.
“What kind of friend is he calling you to be? What kind of sister, student, lawyer, Catholic, football player are you to be? I don’t think we can ever have a complete answer to this question, but knowing that the message of the Gospel should constantly inform who we are as people has given me a great love for discovering how God is shaping me.”
Ms Pereira’s journey of faith also included savouring Portuguese delicacies (pastel de natas – Portuguese tartes), engaging in multilingual worship, and even sharing sunrise moments with 1.5 million pilgrims and a priest-DJ.
Within the vibrant tapestry of World Youth Day, an unexpected encounter profoundly impacted her faith. This involved meeting a young Ukrainian woman who had faced the terrors of war first hand.
Ms Pereira said that encounter renewed her faith in a deep way.
“I did not expect someone from Ukraine, out of all places, to boost my faith,” she said.
“She shared that whilst she and her friends were praying together at World Youth Day, a bomb dropped into her hometown, but against all odds, it did not explode.
“Hearing this from a young person who had every reason to be in despair as her country faces war, but still chose to be [persevering] in her faith was a big encouragement for me in my own faith journey.”
Ms Pereira is urging people to remain open to divine interventions, even in the most unlikely places.
Yet, amidst the excitement and God-moments, the resonating words of Pope Francis lingered. Fondly referred to as “Papa Francisco” by attendees in Portugal, the Pope reminded everyone of their shared mission.
“I hope,” Mr Kulkarni reflected, “that all who attended WYD returned to their homes, friends, workplaces and communities with the same impression – The harvest is plenty and the labourers are few.
“There are too many souls that don’t know about the joy that I have in me. With the grace of God, I pray we may each do our little part to be the voices crying out in the wilderness, ‘behold the Man who changed my life!’”
Some of the pilgrims from New Zealand went to France ahead of WYD, while the rest followed in Portugal.
Theresa Fitzpatrick from Mangere was in the second group.
“The first week [in Portugal] is days in the diocese where we go around the different suburbs of Portugal, we get to learn the culture. We stay with families, we get to experience the different sights in Portugal,” says Fitzpatrick.
The New Zealand group had two days in Fatima at the shrine. They also went to some of Portugal’s warmest beaches, and visited some of its most beautiful churches. The second week in Portugal was filled with WYD events along with the multitudes from around the world. They got to see the Pope, celebrate Mass and have praise and worship. They also got to sleep under the stars in tents and sleeping bags.
Ms Fitzpatrick tried creating space in her busy schedule to reflect on the theme as preparation before hopping on a plane to see the Pope.
“Mary arose and made haste – just what it means to me in my life right now, where should I be making haste to, where is God calling me to go to.”
The 27-year-old Ms Fitzpatrick was excited to get away from all the “worldly stuff”, and focus on God alone.
“The stresses of job, family, bills and sicknesses, and be in a nice environment and just see more clearly the presence of God and grow closer to him.”
As World Youth Day 2023 wrapped up, its memory remains as a mosaic of faith, discovery, and rejuvenation. The event’s profound impact on young hearts is clear, reminding the world that the spirit of the Church burns brightly in the hearts of its youth today ever more so than ever.
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