For 10 days we closely accompanied the pilgrimage of FI youth on the Mother Candida Route, the III International Meeting of FI Youth and the Youth Jubilee in Rome. It was a journey marked by faith, fraternity and shared joy, where every step became a sign of hope.
Like all profound experiences, this one also needs time to rest in the heart. Only in this way can it be “felt and tasted internally”, as Ignatian spirituality invites us to do. Today, after some time has passed, we return to gather those fruits that have remained in the lives of those who participated and we share them as echoes of hope that encourage us to continue on our journey.
Listening to Jubilee Pilgrims
In this web entry we want to open a space for them, the protagonists, to put words and images to what they have experienced. We recall that the Young IFs from Taiwan shared their testimony with us previously. On this occasion, we have collected testimonies from FI Youth – Caribbean, Andean America and Spain-Italy. Let’s listen to their words and experiences:
Rosanna Martínez – Dominican Republic
She shares her experience before the altarpiece of the Holy Family in Valladolid, an experience that left her speechless:
“It is a scene that touches the soul: carved prayer, divine presence made art, silence that touches the heart. In the center, the Child Jesus, as he should always be. He is accompanied by the Virgin Mary and St. Joseph, reflecting the love that protects, that guides, that sustains. Above, God the Father on his eternal throne, and the Holy Spirit descending in the form of a dove. On the sides, St. Anne and St. Joachim, grandparents of Jesus, and the sister who was giving us the tour told us that they can reflect the lay community that we belong to the Church. For me, the HOLY FAMILY, spiritual and human. This altarpiece is a treasure, the chapel where it is located is the treasure urn. If someday you come to this place, let the altarpiece speak to you. There are images that you pray with your eyes open.”
Juan Céspedes – Dominican Republic
“Being on Mother Candida’s route, stepping on those places with the odor of sanctity, feeling the trace of her presence among her things and listening to the sisters recount her life, has been a renewal and a sending for me. In the whole of Mother Candida’s life we can discover a God who loves the simple and who exalts the humble, a God capable of turning into a cornerstone what others reject. Mother Candida’s mission today is a life project that we can embrace together with the Daughters of Jesus. I can only say like Job: “Once I knew you with my ears, now my eyes have seen you” What a joy to be part of this story!
Monserrat Lascano – Argentina
“Being on Mother Candida’s route, stepping on those places with the odor of sanctity, feeling the trace of her presence among her things and listening to the sisters recount her life, has been a renewal and a sending for me. In the whole of Mother Candida’s life we can discover a God who loves the simple and who exalts the humble, a God capable of turning into a cornerstone what others reject. Mother Candida’s mission today is a life project that we can embrace together with the Daughters of Jesus. I can only say like Job: “Once I knew you with my ears, now my eyes have seen you” What a joy to be part of this story!
Video testimony
Finally, we share a video that the Daughters of Jesus of Spain-Italy published in their social networks and that gathers, with voice and face, what the young people lived during this pilgrimage. In it, María, from Madrid, and Isabel Comprés, from the Dominican Republic, transmit to us the joy, faith and hope of these shared days.
An invitation to echo
Because when young people give us the gift of their gaze and their voice, we discover a Church that is alive, on the move and with a future. These echoes of hope are a reminder that the charism of St. Candida continues to enkindle hearts all over the world.
And now, the invitation is also for you:
- What echoes of hope do these shared experiences awaken in your heart?
- In your daily life, do you let the echo of other people’s hope resonate?
- How do you help more young people live with hope?
