Father Slawomir Siok - English-speaking pilgrims participate in catechetical sessions at St. Antonio Church in Madrid.

The crowd of 1.5 million people gathered in a Spanish airfield to hear the pope celebrate Mass contrasts greatly with the daily catechesis sessions presented to the World Youth Day pilgrims. Nestled comfortably in St. Antonio Church in Madrid, 27 young travelers from the Diocese of Buffalo heard from the archbishop of Boston, Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley, OFM Cap., and two Australian bishops speaking on the theme “Planted and Built up in Jesus Christ, Firm in the Faith,” taken from Colossians 2:7.

“Catechesis was the best part of Madrid,” said Heather A. Wolcott-Hoffman, program coordinator for the diocesan Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministry, and pilgrim. “All the bishops, in my opinion, were well spoken and good.”

The English sessions, which were attended by Americans, Canadians, South Africans, Aussies and Brits, began with praise and worship featuring “Everybody Sing Allelula” by Augie Leaf and Tony Melendez, and “Open My Heart” by Jesse Manibusan, followed by a 45-minute presentation by one of three bishops. A question and answer period followed. Some questions were theologically based or philosophical, others were hot button issues. The bishops gave each question a direct answer, “which was great,” said Hoffman.

One girl, who was the only Catholic in her family, asked what she could do to keep her faith and spread it to the family that mocks her.

“I think that was the most moving time for me,” said Father Jozef Dudzik, pastor of Christ Our Hope Parish in French Creek, who led a pilgrimage with people from Jamestown, Lake View, Niagara Falls and Buffalo. “This is a problem of ours too, when the young people want to believe, but the parents don’t. They don’t bring them to the church. It was very real.”

The journey, which included a tour through Paris and Lourdes, was full of God moments, which allowed Wolcott-Hoffman and the others to keep a positive outlook. Their accommodations included little more than the classroom where they stayed at night and struggled to sleep on its hard wood floor. “But it’s good for the back supposedly,” Wolcott-Hoffman said, looking on the bright side. Temperatures reached 102 degrees, which made the cold showers tolerable.

“I’ve been reflecting a lot on martyrdom, and we studied the martyrs there,” said Wolcott-Hoffman. “I love our faith, but if somebody said, ‘Are you ready to die for our faith?’ I would like to say yes. But, the situation of being uncomfortable was uncomfortable. If I were a teenager I would have freaked out. I really commend our young people because they were so flexible. They rarely complained. It was the adults who complained more.”

While riding the Metro de Madrid mass transit, Wolcott-Hoffman heard a priest say that this was the largest peacetime gathering in the world.

“I think that really is a testimony to us as Catholics and young people. We had lot of people from different parts of the world; countries that don’t get along came together for one common thing,” she said.

“When you meet together, 1.5 million young people with real sound faith, people who pray, people who ask the questions, people who are taught of the Catholic faith, 20,000 priests and nuns in the crowd, you really have a very positive feeling about the Church; you really have a hope for the future of our Church,” said Father Dudzik.

Father Slawomir Siok, SAC, pastor of St. John de LaSalle Parish in Niagara Falls, who attended with Father 

Dudzik’s group, is grateful that so many people from his parish and the Diocese of Buffalo were able to attend this event.