Utah parishioners feel God's call at WYD 2013

World Youth Day 2013

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SALT LAKE CITY — Young Catholics from Saint Catherine of Siena/Newman Center, Saint George Parish and Saint Francis Xavier Parish, accompanied by family members and chaperones, were able to attend the World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

After working very hard to gather the funds, a group of 19 people from St. George Parish were able to make the trip.

"This was a gift from God," said Joe Reed, a parishioner of St. George Parish who helped organize the trip.

Reed went with his wife and children.

"It was a beautiful experience; we all came transformed from that," he said.

Similar to Reed’s experience was the one by Rocio and Jacinto Roman, who with their three teenage sons, worked hard for several months to be able to gather the funds for the trip.

"Since the beginning we felt that this was a very special journey; that God has guided us throughout," said Rocio. "God was always providing and because of that, we were able to go."

Rocio referred to one occasion in which it was almost the deadline to pay for the trip but they were still very short of money.

"I was outside my house and a person came out of the blue and asked me if a truck that we had just parked and did not use anymore was for sale. … I ran looking for Jacinto and asked him if we could sell it. He agreed and we did," said Rocio.

But time was running out and they were still lacking $1,000 to pay for the trip, so she thought they were not going.

Then Rocio got a phone call from another parishioner, telling her they just received a $1,000 donation.

At the call, joy filled her heart – her family was ready to go to WYD in Brazil!

"God is the provider. Only by his grace were we able to go," said Rocio. "All this has been a blessing for all of us, and more for my family."

Rocio can see the results of the trip in her daily life: since they returned her children gather and pray together every day, and all have shown more interest in their religion.

"We are more united as a family. This has been a blessing. They are more motivated and proud of our faith," said Rocio.

Christian, at 19 the oldest of the Romans’ children, shares his mother’s feelings.

"My faith has grown since the trip," he said. "Before I used to think that we were just a few Catholics here in small Utah, but seeing more than 3 million people on the beach [in Rio de Janeiro] with the pope really opened my eyes," Christian said. "It was just amazing."

He also feels that his family has grown closer due to WYD.

"It opened my eyes to things, and it opened up my faith in many ways. … Probably without faith there is no hope, and without hope there is nothing. Having faith in God is really powerful. With the power of God there is no mountain that cannot be moved," he said.

Rocio remembers fondly the day after they participated in the gathering with Pope Francis. They were taken into a convention where about 40,000 people were expected.

"More than 100,000 gathered," said Rocio. "I didn’t know what was going on. We saw a lot of bishops and priests, and then we realized it was a gathering for vocations."

At the end of that event, when the priests asked the young people to come forward if they thought they were being called, thousands of young men and women came forward, Rocio said. Among them were two young men from Saint George Parish. One of them was Christian.

"I want to. … I have been thinking of going on a Catholic mission because being over there [in Rio] has made me really think if I want to become a priest or the father of a family," said Christian. "I think that going on a mission will help me to figure out … whether I am meant to be a priest, or am I meant to be the father of a family?"

His mother, too, is waiting for the answer. "I know that whatever happens will be God’s will," she said.