A day of strong emotions

To begin with, July 22, 2013 marked the first anniversary of the death of two brave Cuban Catholics, both strongly committed to the Church, who lost their lives because of their peaceful activism for freedom and respect for human rights in Cuba. With their lives, Harold Cepero Escalante and Oswaldo Paya Sardinas gave testimony of dedication to God and neighbor, and so today we remembered them in prayer.

We started the day by attending 8 a.m. Mass in Italian at St. Paul the Apostle Parish. At this Mass we saw only a few pilgrims. Then, we went to the Cathedral, and from the moment we entered the subway, the presence of the pilgrims was overwhelming. The joy and sense of brotherhood is such that it becomes difficult to walk two steps without stopping to take a picture or chatting with other pilgrims. In the Cathedral, we remembered and prayed in a special way for Harold and Oswaldo, for the people of Cuba, for Pope Francis's intentions, and for all the prayer requests that we received while preparing for this pilgrimage.

At lunch time, we split into groups to do some missionary work that we are planning, and this allowed us to meet and share with many different people. Personally, I was very touched to witness the work of a group of Franciscans who are caring for the poor, not only giving them clothes and food, but helping them to shave and watching over them. One of the Franciscans explained that this is one of the forms of prayer that makes them feel closer to Jesus, in that in these poor they see the face of Jesus, and through them, love Him.

I was very surprised by the great kindness and hospitality being displayed by everyone, not just the volunteers and pilgrims, but also the inhabitants of Rio. Waiting for an elevator to go up to the Convent of San Antonio, we learned of the arrival of the Pope while talking with a woman, a resident of Rio, who even gave us her phone number in case she could help with anything.

It has been a bit difficult to stay informed about the wide range of activities for pilgrims, but definitely, when you see police officers begin to arrive, and hundreds of volunteers start clearing the way, it is evident that the Pope will soon pass by. We waited nearly two hours, but the time flew as we shared with the pilgrims around us. We saw many Argentine pilgrims, and it was a very pleasant surprise to see a group of Chinese pilgrims, although we were too far away to say hello.

And what can I say about the arrival of the Pope? The truth is that I have no words to describe the emotion. This is my first World Youth Day and my first time seeing a pope in person. Pope Francis did not say anything, but just by looking at us and giving us his blessing, we felt the presence among us of the successor of Peter, the Vicar of Christ, and the young people responded jubilantly to that presence.

Tomorrow is the opening Mass in Copacabana. See you soon!