Chilean youth return from World Youth Day full of evangelical zeal

Santiago, Chile, Jul 25, 2008 / 14:43 pm

A group of 528 young people from Chile who traveled to Sydney for World Youth Day returned home on Thursday and shared with reporters their renewed zeal for the faith after their experience with Pope Benedict XVI and thousands of young people from around the world.

“The encounter we experienced was wonderful, we received the power of the Holy Spirit and we were able to share with young people from all over the world,” said one of the Chilean youths who was on her way home to the city of Punta Arenas.

 “The encounter strengthened my faith a lot, it was an unforgettable experience,” another girl from the group said. “These are unique experiences that happen every 20 years, like when Pope John Paul II came here. Now it was my daughter’s turn,” said the girl’s father.

A mother of some of the other young people in the group told reporters, “They need to have these kinds of experiences more often, so that they themselves can spread the love of Christ to other young people.”

Galo Fernandez, a youth minister who traveled with the young people, said, “We need to have the strength to want to be builders of a more fraternal world animated by the faith. We need the power of the Holy Spirit to proclaim to Gospel to all without fear and with respect for cultural diversity and for different opinions.”