Miami group spends Days in the Diocese in Segovia
Castles, churches and a renewal of vows
Thursday, August 18, 2011
*Sr. Ondina Cortes
XXXX_Nav_YouthDay2011_XXXX
Photographer: COURTESY PHOTO
Miami pilgrims to World Youth Day pose for a photo outside the cathedral in Segovia, where they spent the days leading up to the papal events in Madrid.
Photographer: COURTESY PHOTO
This photo shows a netter view of Segovia's cathedral. This group of Miami pilgrims to World Youth Day is being led by Claretian Missionary Sisters Ondina Cortes and Olga Villar.
Photographer: COURTESY PHOTO
Miami pilgrims to World Youth Day sit in a Madrid church to listen to a Spanish-language catechesis by the retired bishop of Pamplona, Spain. Catechesis by bishops from around the world led up to the papal events at World Youth Day.
Those were amazing days in a magic city... castles, Romanic churches and the much-photographed Roman aqueduct make this place special. It is like a 13th-century town. The castle of Segovia is what Walt Disney used as a model for Cinderella's castle.
We made a pilgrimage — a walk of 11 kilometers, or almost seven miles — to the church of El Rosario in La Granja where St. Anthony Mary Claret received the grace of the preservation of the Eucharist. On the 14th we joined the rest of the pilgrims in Segovia for a vigil at the Shrine of Our Lady of Fuencisla, and walked to the cathedral singing and praying in many languages. There we had adoration. On the 15th, the day of the Assumption of Our Lady, the Claretian Sisters renewed their vows — in a way inviting all the young people to renew with them their baptismal commitment to follow Jesus. It was done in three different languages, since we were 25 sisters from 12 different countries. Then we celebrated Mass in the cathedral with all the pilgrims in the city and the diocese prepared a delicious paella for all of us. This day, too, we got to visit the tomb of St. John of the Cross.
Tuesday night, the opening Mass was celebrated at the Cibeles plaza, and Wednesday we began the catechesis. Most of our group went to Spanish catechesis given by Bishop Fernando Sebastian, bishop emeritus of the Diocese of Pamplona. Later on, a group went to see the play “El Divino Impaciente” (A Saint in a Hurry), a poetic presentation of the life of St. Francis Xavier, written by Jose Maria Pemán. Another group went to a presentation by Christopher West on the Theology of the Body. Both were excellent presentations. Then we went to a flamenco dance show at Plaza de España, and those who still had energy went to adoration at church nearby. Tomorrow we hope to meet the Pope...
Photographer: TOM TRACY | FC
Youths taking part in World Youth Day make for worse-than-rush-hour crowds at a Metro station in Madrid.
