On January 13-20, 2018, some sixty young missionaries from our three parishes in Copiapó, Santiago and Curicó, Chile, gathered, as they do every year, to take part in a special mission, a “papal mission”, with the motto: “Young People, Go Forward with Francis and Make Some Noise”.
For the first two days, the young people stayed at the mission in Curicó where they attended the first profession of Friar Augusto URZÚA GONZÁLEZ who had just returned from Colombia after his year of novitiate. After half a day of formation, the young people set off for Santiago to meet with Pope Francis.
The young missionaries enthusiastically participated in the papal mission activities. They visited the Shrine of Alberto Hurtado and the mission in that area. They attended Mass in O’Higgin’s Park, presided over by the Holy Father and they attended a meeting with the Pope in the Votive Temple of Maipú, where the young people were filled with joy and youthful spirit.
The young people concluded the Pope’s visit by going forth into the streets, to give a lively answer to a key question the Pope had raised: “What would Christ do in my place?”. Then they spent the day carrying out various activities with children, young people and adults.
The mission ended with a Mass of Sending Forth, in which the young people were invited to carry Pope Francis’ message back to their hometowns, to encourage teens and young people to get up from their easy chairs and go forth as peacemakers to make the world a better place.
Friar Jack GINTING
