Scottish Catholic Observer

I have also strengthened my relationship with God through the moments of deep prayer and thoughtful devotion we have shared during this fortnight. I feel less isolated as a practising teenage Catholic and am very thankful for my faith. I will never forget this pilgrimage!

Lucy Clark, Troon

Two million people, their spirits high, singing ‘Benedicto’ at the top of our voices in the 40 degrees heat made me realise that I am most definitely not alone in my Faith.  Although I go to church every week and attend Catholic school, I still sometimes feel I am alone in my love for my faith. Especially through the experience of celebrating Mass with Pope Benedict, I have learned a lot about the way my peers feel about their faith and love for Jesus. I have learned more about myself and my personal relationship with Christ. This journey has also been an emotional one—I have felt the Spirit of Christ within me many times, especially when I was in need. A main highlight was also praying daily with the group, especially at Night Prayer when we reflected on God’s action in our day. World Youth Day has been life changing.

Rosie Brown, Ayr

Having never been to a Catholic school and spending time around other young people my age who share the Faith, this summer has been extraordinary. This pilgrimage further reinforced my trust that the Catholic Faith in Scotland can live on. Sharing my faith this summer has helped me learn about myself and what it means to be Catholic. Being in Spain, both Salamanca and Madrid, taught me a lot about the history of the Church, and about following Jesus. Sharing Mass with the Holy Father was special for me since the message he left was so full of joy and hope for the future of the Church. I only hope his message is heard and understood by all.

Gavin MacKinnon, Cumnock

Faith in Christ and camaraderie between each other are both things that have been tested in my life and are also things that have been much strengthened in this World Youth Day pilgrimage.  Whether it was the presence of the breathtaking chapels and cathedrals in Salamanca, or the sheer number of pilgrims gathered in the Cuatro Vientos airfield, it was brilliant to see so many who shared and cared about the Faith. I have definitely been “planted and built up in Christ” and made ‘firm in the Faith.’

Matthew Love, Stranraer

World Youth Day has definitely changed me. It taught me to be a strong person, especially during the hot days. At the Cuatro Vientos airfield, enduring the 50 degrees heat in the blistering sun was a struggle and pushed us all to our limits, but we stayed positive and helped and cared for one another. I believe our struggles were part of God’s purpose to bring our group closer, and it certainly worked. The Galloway group was a lovely group of people: we were all different in our own ways and it was like we all took little pieces of each others’ personalities to make us better people.

Paige Campbell, Maybole

I’ve always shared a strong faith with my family but it is sometimes challenging to be open about Jesus with people my own age. World Youth Day has given me reassurance that there are others in the same position and it has been a relief to see so many people sharing in the Christian faith. I have made many friends from within our diocese. I have also learned much more about myself that I had been unaware of for the 17 years of my life, and have gained confidence in meeting people from different countries/cultures/backgrounds with different personalities/skin tones/languages but all with the same faith. It is moving to think God brought us all together as strangers and we began calling one another brother and sister—each person teaching the other a little more about the world we live in.

Emma Thomson, Kilmarnock

Praying together has affected me deeply—I have been inspired, reinvigorated in the faith and am able to trust God more. I want to tell others about the Papal Mass, the Adoration of the Eucharist, and the peace that was present among the enormous crowds of people. There are not many Catholics the same age as me in the parish, so sometimes I feel isolated compared to my friends who do not have faith. But getting to know young Catholics from all over the world gave me hope and put things into perspective: the Catholic Church is universal. I believe that prayer is the most powerful thing on earth.  It can change our world by changing us and leading us on the path that God wants for us, it makes us think more deeply and be more like Jesus and the saints.  Learning about the life of St Teresa of Avila has really helped me. We faced some difficult moments on our pilgrimage in the scorching heat, among huge crowds, and coping with sickness. I am an independent person and I rely on myself a lot in life, but when I have helped people on this pilgrimage I have had to rely on God and pray with Mary to intercede for us. I know that God has been present: he took the load when we relied on him. This pilgrimage will be part of our identity now—proud Catholics of World Youth Day 2011.

Marie-Clare Harold, Troon

Being at World Youth Day really strengthened my Faith because I felt like a small part of something extremely special. We always hear about how secular our world is becoming and a lot of what we hear about religion and Catholicism is very negative.  Being with and celebrating with millions of other Catholic young people proved to me that the positives outweigh the negatives we hear in the media and our daily lives. Sometimes when I was younger I would think, why do I believe in all this when not all my friends do?  But through both Papal Masses—Bellahouston and Madrid—I am now certain that I am not alone. Hearing the young Canadians give their testimony at the Catechesis really touched me because it showed me that no matter what you’ve done, it’s never too late to find God.  This made me hopeful, not only for myself, but also for other young people who haven’t yet found God and who still can find Him.  The World Youth Day, especially in the difficult heat and crowds in Madrid, has made me realise that I am a much stronger person than I thought I was, and I think that God has wanted me to realise that. I am also able to show my true personality more.

Rebecca Gowans, Prestwick

This World Youth Day pilgrimage has possibly been the most important experience of my life. I feel that I have a stronger friendship with Christ, and that my faith in the Lord has been strengthened and renewed. I have learned so many things about myself and my Faith, and I have realised that I am never alone in my Faith. Before, I often felt in the minority, but I have discovered that there are millions of other young people who share Christian belief. World Youth Day has also demonstrated to me that faith is almost like a universal language – it connects so many people across the globe. I was struck by this realisation during the Festival of the Nations in Salamanca when I took part in a conversation between six or seven different nationalities.

Patrick McCallum, Maybole

Over the past two weeks I have experienced many great things. I feel I have not only come to know so many different people, but also myself. Through each of the Masses, services and Catechesis I have learnt so much and found a deeper understanding of my faith.  I can now honestly say I have a true knowledge of my Faith. The pilgrimage has been a life-changing experience.  After each day we all said that that was the best day of the pilgrimage and that it couldn’t get any better, but unbelievably, each day’s experiences exceeded all expectations! The final Mass celebrated with the Pope and up to two million people made me speechless. Being with so many likeminded young people of faith made this whole trip for me. I feel more grounded and confident in my faith and in my person. I understand just how important faith is to my life. I would like to thank everyone who made this pilgrimage possible. But most of all I’d like to thank the group of people I was with. We went through some tough times in the heat and crowds, and we all became stronger and closer because of it. I will respond to what the Pope asked of us in his closing speech to be bold witnesses of Christian living who tell everyone about what we have experienced. Amen.

Caoimhe Hunter-Blair, Maybole