The Catholic Standard and Times

Black Catholic youth headed to Cologne

By Susan Brinkmann
CS&T Correspondent

The Martin de Porres Foundation is sponsoring six black Catholic youths for this year’s World Youth Day, to be held August 16-21 in Cologne, Germany.
Keith White, executive director of the foundation, said the students chosen to take the trip are thrilled.

“They’re just ecstatic. They’re going to enjoy the spiritual journey, to gain knowledge, and then to bring back what they learned to their African-American Catholic communities and the archdiocese at large,” White said.

The spiritual gifts the students acquire during their pilgrimage will be widely shared when they return: The participants, who range in age from 18 to 23, are all involved in ministry at their schools or parishes.

“That’s a plus,” White said. “They’re already giving back [through] outreach programs. A lot of them work with young people, with the Office of Youth and Young Adults (OYYA), so they already have connections to what’s going on with youth in the faith.”

During the interview process, 13 students who were interested in going to Cologne were asked the same question: “What would you say to the Pope if you had the chance?”

“Every one of them said they would affirm with him the gifts of African-American Catholics and also the beauty of the universal church,” White said. “They identify and recognize the gift their culture brings to the universal Church, and they want the Pope to know this.”

Andrew Robinson, a 19-year-old Villanova University student majoring in finance and theology, said he was overwhelmed when he heard he’d been selected for the trip. “I applied to go because I haven’t had the opportunity to attend a World Youth Day. I’m half-way through college now, and I felt this was a good time to refresh my faith.”he said. “World Youth Day is a different type of spiritual experience, and I felt this was a good time to go.”

Anthony Gibbs, 22, of St. Ignatius of Loyola, who is currently attending Widener University, said he is looking forward to a faith-strengthening experience in Cologne: “I’ve heard great things about World Youth Day in Toronto, and that the spiritual enlightenment you receive is so enormous, I wanted to experience this for myself.”

Gibbs said he intends to bring the experience home to share with others: “I’m trying to bring more youth back to the Church, because the youth are our future. I’m grateful and blessed to be going, and I want to take full advantage of this opportunity.”

Brian Botto, 21, a CCD teacher at St. Francis of Assisi in Norristown, is also hoping to bring back some “fire” from Cologne to help in his work here at home. “I want to help out at our parish with our high school CYO, to get more kids involved in the Mass and [the] Church,” Botto said. This will be his first trip overseas. “The big thing for me is to see youth from all over the world coming together in one place to share their faith.”

For several other students, including Wayne Thomas and Tiffany Watson, this will also be their first trip overseas.

“I’ve never been outside the country before,” said Thomas, an 18-year-old student at Mercy Vocational School. “And I’ve never seen a pope in person.” Thomas is very active in his parish, the newly formed Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament; he is an altar server, lector and former choir member.

Watson, 18, of St. Benedict Parish in West Oak Lane and a student at Murrell Dobbins AVTS, said she wants to go to Cologne because it will strengthen her in her ministry of “winning souls for Christ.”

Watson added, “I’m going by myself, far from my mom and my sister, so it’s really going to be an experience. But I prayed about the situation and know that no matter what, God will be with me. I’m ready to go.”

Megan Davenport, 22, of St. Ignatius of Loyola and a student at Villanova University will also be attending.

Lisa Johnson, OYYA Vicariate Coordinator for Philadelphia North, described roller-coaster of emotions surrounding the trip to Cologne that started with the April 2 death of Pope John Paul II.

“People thought World Youth Day would be cancelled when the Pope died,” Johnson said. “A couple people called to ask if they were cancelling Cologne, and I said no. We never doubted it was going to be held because John Paul II made everyone see how important youth are in our Church. And then a new pope was elected — and he was a German.”

Their mourning turned to joy as the young people realized the historic dimension of this year’s World Youth Day: The newly-elected German Pope Benedict XVI will be visiting his homeland for the first time since his election to the papacy.

“For all this to happen in one year is amazing,” Johnson said. “And to be able to say you were a part of it, and you saw him, is totally overwhelming. Besides the fact that we’re going to share our faith with countless millions of other people, to know that this is a new pope — this makes us a part of history.”

The World Youth Day event will take place August 16-21, but it will be preceded in Germany by five days of welcoming activities that will take place in dioceses throughout the country. The dioceses will prepare their own programs in cooperation with local Ministries for Youth, giving the young visitors a glimpse of the culture and geography of Germany.

“I am very happy these young people are joining the other youth from our Archdiocese for World Youth Day,” said Father Stephen Thorne, director of the Office for Black Catholics.

“They represent the zeal and energy of the African American Catholic community,” he said. “I pray that their experience will help them to appreciate that they are part of the true Church, which is home for all races, cultures and languages.”

Contact Susan Brinkmann at fiat723@aol.com or (215) 965-4615