S18 contributions Category

TOWARDS THE SYNOD, Editors • On Saturday, 24 March the pre-Synod meeting was brought to a close with the approval of the document containing the proposals that the young people presented to the Church in light of the next Synod of Bishops. At the end of the celebration of Holy Mass on Palm Sunday, Pope Francis received the conclusive document of this week of work that ended on 24 March from a group of young people who participated in the pre-Synod meeting. As is customary, the Holy Father did notRead More
PRE-SYNODAL MEETING IN ROME, Magdalena Hartmann and Lucas Galhardo • At 12.30 today, in the Holy See Press Office, a press conference was held for the presentation of the Document of the pre-Synodal Meeting in preparation for the 15th General Ordinary Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, to be held in October 2018, on the theme: “Young people, faith and vocational discernment”. Meanwhile, the two members of the Schoenstatt Youth who participated in the pre-synodal meeting, Magdalena Hartmann (Germany) and Lucas Galhardo (Braszil), sent the following video message to allRead More
PRE-SYNOD YOUTH MEETING, Lucas Galhardo • After thanking the prayerful support of so many Schoenstatters, including members of the schoenstatt.org team and missionaries of the Pilgrim Mother Campaign in Santa Rita, an interior town of Paraguay, Lucas Galhardo, the Schoenstatt Movement’s representative at the Pre-Synod, shares some of his impressions of the first day. — The Pre-Synodal meeting began today with the presence of the Holy Father, who in the morning session shared some wise and encouraging words for us to make the most of this opportunity to meet andRead More
TOWARDS THE YOUTH SYNOD: “Hey guys: Pope Francis wants to listen to you”• My name is Daniel Rodríguez, from Barquisimeto, Lara State, Venezuela. I was born on 29 August 2002 and I’m 16 years old. My concern is about being an Orion priest. My doubts are over the situation in Venezuela that crushes our inquisitiveness and whether our dreams can flourish in times of difficulty. My commitment is to help the Church and my neighbour. My dream is to be a priest. To give my life to others like ourRead More
BRAZIL, Ariel Stival via jumasbrasil.com.br • Pope Francis called a Youth Synod, which will take place in 2018 under the theme “Young People, Faith, and Vocational Discernment” that came out of consultations with the bishops conferences. The Synod of Bishops is a kind of consultation assembly for the Holy Father attended by representatives of the Catholic bishops’ conferences from all over the world, together with experts and several other people who are invited, primarily, to help in defining, contextualising and framing the chosen theme for the synod assembly. As theRead More
TOWARDS THE YOUTH SYNOD: “Hey guys, Pope Francis wants to hear you” • I never imagined that life in seminary could be filled with so many unforeseen experiences and impressions. I’ve always admired seminarians – those who came to our parish for apostolic work, the few who returned annually for Christmas break, and even the ones who came to our school for retreats. They were the perfect people – or so I thought – committed to the gospel of Jesus with an undying resolution to live chaste in an unchasteRead More
TOWARDS THE YOUTH SYNOD: “Hey guys, Pope Francis wants to hear you” Hello everyone! How are you? My name is Analía Bazán Fernández, I am from Pirayú in the Department of Paraguarí, Paraguay. I was 18 in 2010 when I attended a youth workshop that took place in the chapel of my community in Costa Jhú, organized by youth leaders of the Apostolic Schoenstatt Movement during the “Patria Pater” missions. Through these young missionaries, I discovered our Mother Thrice Admirable and fell in love with her. With them I experiencedRead More
Towards the Youth Synod: “Hey, young person, Francis wants to hear you” • My history Born and bred in Cape Town, South Africa – I am from a family of four. I’m 26 years of age, and I firmly believe in the family unit. I was raised in a very Catholic environment. I’m blessed to have both my parents as active role models in my life. Growing up, Sunday Mass was non-negotiable, and if I did miss it, my Mom would hound me to the confessional. I have to admitRead More
Towards the Youth Synod: “Hey, young person, Francis wants to hear you” • Hi everyone. My name is Fabián Daniel López Cuevas, I am 26 years old, and I’m studying Accounting at Our Lady of Asunción Catholic University. I am part of the Apostolic Schoenstatt Movement and I’m preparing for marriage. This is how my story begins. From a very young age, I had a deeply Catholic upbringing at home. Everyday, we would gather to pray the Rosary with my siblings and my mom. I’ll admit, dad didn’t join usRead More
Towards the Youth Synod – “Pope Francis wants to hear you” • My history I’m a young woman, originally from Durban, studying physiotherapy in the beautiful city of Cape Town, South Africa. I come from a very small family consisting of my Mom, Gran and Grandad and we’re a very tight-knit family, so leaving home to come and study was very difficult for me. Thankfully I moved into a residence for female students run by the Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary and after living here for the last 3 years, itRead More