News

Arkansas youth traveled to Krakow for World Youth Day

Long walks, little sleep are part of experience for young pilgrims

Published: August 11, 2016      

By Aprille Hanson
Associate Editor

CNS / Paul Haring

Pope Francis rides with pilgrims in the popemobile as he arrives for a prayer vigil as part of World Youth Day at the Field of Mercy in Krakow, Poland, July 30.

CNS / Paul Haring

Pope Francis rides with pilgrims in the popemobile as he arrives for a prayer vigil as part of World Youth Day at the Field of Mercy in Krakow, Poland, July 30.

Amid more than a million young pilgrims from around the world gathered in Kraków, Poland, were young adults traveling from Arkansas to celebrate the love of Christ during World Youth Day and experience the true meaning of the Universal Church.

“It was more than just a definition on a piece of paper,” said 19-year-old Laredo Loyd, a cradle Catholic who said the concept of “universal” was alive during the July 25-31 pilgrimage. “You see it and experience it … I have never experienced something that has strengthened my faith more than this.”

The first official pilgrimage for young adults ages 16 to 35 was instituted by Pope John Paul II in 1986 in Rome. Since then, World Youth Day has been held every two to three years in a variety of places including Argentina, France, United States and Australia.

Held this year during the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy, the theme was Matthew 5:7, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.” The next World Youth Day will be in Panama in 2019.

“I would say if you’re thinking of going it’s a pilgrimage — it’s not going to be easy, it’s going to be exhausting. You’ll probably have to sleep on floors and walk a bunch. But the experience is worth it,” said Joanna Murphy, 29, a parishioner at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in North Little Rock (Marche). 

Some of this year’s events included Mass, a vigil, confession and opportunities to visit holy or historic sites including the Divine Mercy Shrine at Lagiewniki and the Auschwitz concentration camp. Pope Francis also spoke several times to attendees.

It was the first time Brenda Martinez, 23, a parishioner at St. Edward Church in Little Rock, attended World Youth Day, with three other youth from Arkansas, one from Oklahoma and Rocio Montes, the diocesan associate director for Hispanic youth and young adult ministry. Montes said they were invited to join more than 50 others from the Archdiocese of Atlanta for the trip.

“It was really nice because I know most people don’t have the opportunity to travel and see the things that we saw so it was really amazing to be a part of World Youth Day and the experience to bring back to people who weren’t able to go,” Martinez said. “On Saturday we had the vigil, singing songs and having a holy hour. It was really amazing how the nature, the sunset, it was beautiful how it was looking with the Eucharist there.”

Murphy traveled with about 43 others from the Diocese of Milwaukee, along with her best friend, Sister Regina Rose Pearson, a native of Arkansas and member of the Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity. The group visited several tourist sites, including the Wieliczka Salt Mine and the Divine Mercy Shrine.

“You could feel the mercy from God covering you and filling you,” she said of the shrine.

Walking an average of 10 to 15 miles a day, Murphy said her group slept on the floor in a school in Myslenice, Poland, traveling about 45 minutes on a packed bus every day to Kraków. While attending World Youth Day in Madrid, Spain in 2011 was more peaceful, Murphy said the energy in Poland was awe-inspiring.

“I think it’s because so many young Catholics get together and you just feel this energy when you’re all together. In the world today you don’t think young people care about the faith anymore but when you go to these and see so many it’s so affirming,” she said. “… I talked to a couple groups from Africa and then there’s a bunch of people from Italy and France. Then just the Polish people themselves — the Polish people loved every stinky, loud pilgrim they saw; it was awesome to feel accepted.”

Loyd, a lector at St. Bartholomew Church in Little Rock and guitarist at St. Theresa Church in Little Rock, attended World Youth Day for the first time thanks to his Polish roommate at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth. The two were able to stay with his grandfather in Kraków.

While he didn’t get to attend all the events, Loyd said Stations of the Cross with Pope Francis July 29 stood out most to him. Several activities occurred at each station: the cross was carried through the crowd; a large screen played videos showing how the Church lives out corporal works of mercy; and performances from Eastern European choirs, dancers and acrobats made the stations come alive.

“You could feel the sanctity and holiness of the moment. There was not really a cloud in the sky … but when Jesus was dying on the cross, clouds went over the sun and cast a shadow over the whole crowd. I can’t put into words how perfect it was for this moment,” he said.

As throngs of people around him raised their phones in the air as Pope Francis rode by in the popemobile about 50 yards away, Loyd said he tried to instead live in the moment.

“I had to just stop and say just wait a minute I need to experience it,” he said. “To look and see the pope there that was really incredible because of all he’s done for the Church.”

Though Murphy did not get to see Pope Francis in person, his words inspired her to move forward in her faith.

“I think really what he said at the vigil — get off the couch and proclaim your faith. That part was very moving,” she said. “I’m closed in on myself and don’t express my faith to others as I should. I’m going to try to do that more — be Christ to everyone I see.”

Martinez had to run to catch a glimpse of the pope riding toward the Mass July 31, but she had a bit of divine hope that she’d see him.

“The day before I had a dream that I saw the pope, he was passing right in front of me,” which happened that Sunday, she said. Pope Francis’ words during the vigil, comparing a soccer match to life touched her.

“He didn’t want us to be on the bleachers, he wanted us to all play. Since I play soccer, that really connected with me. He wanted us to play in our Catholic life; I could relate it to being a good disciple … He doesn’t want us to be sitting down and not be a part of the things we can change,” she said.

For Laredo, a sophomore and double major in political science and psychology, World Youth Day has solidified his beliefs and challenged him to keep that spirit alive.

 “When you really come down to it you look at the love of God. It’s not about us and them — it’s we,” he said. “You’re a part of something greater than yourself. Instead of just seeing that on paper you’re experiencing it. Despite all the bad in the world, the evil, the divisiveness, we had one event where one million Catholics, people from all walks of life, who can come together and celebrate Christ as one … it’s a celebration that puts a different perspective on life.”

Please read our Comments Policy before posting.