From Saturday, February 3, to Monday, February 12, 2024, the 2024 Summer Youth Mission was held for the second consecutive year in Santa Barbara, Biobío Region, Chile.
Friars Matteo MARTINELLI, Christian BORGHESI, Ramón ZÁS GARCÍA and Fabio MAZZINI led the mission which was attended by forty-five Franciscan Youth members. They came from Santiago, Curicó and Copiapó, Chile, and were welcomed with great joy by the youth of the Santa Barbara Parish.
During Mass on Sunday, February 4, the Pastor of Santa Barbara Church, Father Oscar GUTIÉRREZ ROMERO, officially welcomed the members of the youth mission
During the week, the Franciscan Youth missionaries built two prefabricated houses with wood panels. One was to be used as a catechism classroom at one of the rural chapels and the other was for a young man who lost his home during the flood in September of 2023. In addition, the youth helped paint a chapel in a rural sector and visited many families, both in the rural sector and in the city, going door-to-door. The friars, accompanied by some youth missionaries, also visited the sick and elderly.
Each afternoon, activities for children such as games, face painting and a trapeze, were offered in the Plaza de Armas in front of the church.
The Franciscan Youth missionaries began their day with prayer and ended it with a period of formation and fraternity.
On Wednesday, the participants made a pilgrimage to the shrine of Santa Teresa in Aguas Blancas and visited an aviary.
The mission ended with a farewell Mass on Sunday, February 11, at the parish church. Many people attended in addition to the Franciscan Youth missionaries. In the evening, the youth missionaries had an enjoyable time talking dancing, singing and eating traditional food.
Monday, February 12, was a day of evaluation, cleaning up and relaxing by the river.
The Franciscan Youth missionaries were very happy with the welcome they received, both from the parish community and the residents of Santa Barbara.
Friar Matteo MARTINELLI
