WAYNESVILLE — Eighteen young people from St. John the Evangelist Church had an opportunity to grow closer to Jesus and learn more about their Catholic faith – with a pilgrimage to New Orleans followed by attending the Steubenville Atlanta Conference.
The youth group and their college mentors visited several key French Catholic heritage sites as part of the July 7-14 pilgrimage, including St. Louis Cathedral, the Ursuline Convent Museum and the Benedictine Abbey of St. Joseph.
“In all these pilgrimage sites we prayed the rosary and reflected on the great gift of our Catholic faith,” said Father Richard Sutter, pastor.
On their way back to North Carolina, the youth also attended the Steubenville Atlanta Conference July 12-14, joining nearly 5,000 teens from around the U.S. including youth groups from St. Matthew Church in Charlotte and St. Mark Church in Huntersville.
“It is such a powerful experience to accompany teens on a pilgrimage,” Father Sutter said. “It’s amazing to see the Holy Spirit’s impact on us all. In the words of St. Catherine of Siena, ‘If you are what you should be, you will set the world ablaze!’
“Come Holy Spirit – help us set these Smoky Mountains ablaze with the fire of your love!”
Here’s what the young people had to say about the pilgrimage and what they learned:
“Open yourself up to God and miracles will happen in your life.”
— Bryan Cruz
“We became family!”
— Damian Gamez
“Prayer is everything!”
— Alex Martin
“You could really sense the presence of Jesus on this pilgrimage and the worship music throughout from Sammie, one of our college mentors, and the Steubenville conference really helped!”
— Jacqueline Mendoza
“Having our own pilgrimage prior to the Steubenville conference was a great way to prepare for the powerful experience of the teen conference – all the talks and events impacted me.”
— Julio Cesar
“I learned to get out of my comfort zone. It is tough to be a teen, but I know I belong and can be a leader for Christ among my peers.”
— Diana Piña
“Traveling is like a book, every page you turn is a new experience. I’d never been to New Orleans or a Steubenville teen conference. It was all an amazing new experience. I found this pilgrimage to be a true and authentic safe zone with Jesus and my peers.”
— Jocelyn Rubio
“Adoration throughout the pilgrimage was a beautiful self-reflecting time. Each Adoration was different. Some days I’d pray for my family, other times for people at our church, overall just speaking heart to heart with Jesus. Silence with moments of praise and worship music really helped me worship.”
— Leslie Vargas
“It was a great experience. You can let it all out, be yourself, relate with your peers and draw close to Jesus!”
— Carlos Vera
“Answers to life come best when we stop and reflect.”
— Kevin Wenzel
“The pilgrimage experience helped me get closer to my peers.”
—Trinity Wenzel
“I learned a lot about my faith and was provided a leadership opportunity to witness my faith to others. I loved it!”
— Stephen Wenzel, college mentor
“It is beautiful to witness when the grace of God touches people on a deeper level.”
— Adriana Villarroel, college mentor
“The real voyage of self-discovery consists of building with God and one another.”
— Samantha Bernardi, college mentor
— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter