By David Kilby|Correspondent
When four young Catholics from the Jersey Shore began raising money for what turned out to be a life-changing experience at World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro, they had no idea how much generosity and excitement they would receive from their parish and other communities.
By the time May rolled around, it was hard for them to believe that all their hard work paid off, as Father Bismarck Chau, youth and young adult director for the Archdiocese of Newark, came to their last fundraiser and welcomed them aboard the archdiocese’s pilgrimage to Brazil.
The four teens — Mahal Wilson, Justin Odon, Malcolm Wilson and Regene Odon — are members of the Young Servants of the Lord in St. Dorothea Parish, Eatontown. The Young Servants of the Lord is the youth chapter of the parish’s Servants of the Lord.
Justin was inspired to travel to Rio de Janeiro after hearing his music director, Sean Montana, talk about his own WYD experiences in Rome in 2000. His motivation soon caught on, and the four Young Servants of the Lord soon began working together to make their dream of Rio 2013 a reality.
The four teens used their musical talents to host fundraising concerts in their parish over the past two years. Their first fundraiser was called “Sugarfree,” an acoustic benefits concert that mainly helped the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. They had some money left over from that event, so they put the extra donations toward their World Youth Day savings. The supportive parishioners helped the youths raise about $20,000 for the pilgrimage. They only needed $16,000, so they gave the estimated $4,000 left over to the parish.
Justin said they hosted a concert every few months, and received financial support from parishioners between events as well. They sang at the Blue Army Shrine in Washington (Warren County) during a pro-life event and received donations there too, Justin added. Sometimes all the teens had to do was mention they were going to World Youth Day, and people offered them donations.
Their biggest and final fundraiser was a going away dinner dance May 4. Tickets were $20 each, and at least 150 people showed up.
Once they finally reached Rio de Janeiro, everything seemed like a dream to Justin. He didn’t realize that his dream had become a reality until he saw Pope Francis pass by him in the popemobile upon his arrival in Rio July 22.
Regene, 15, said the diversity of people at World Youth Day was a strong testimony for him.
“The people from all around the world just coming together encouraged me to make my commitment to God stronger,” he said.
Regene met pilgrims from Australia, the Philippines, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, South Africa, among other nations.
He also said after experiencing World Youth Day, he now has the will to spread his faith more to other people.
Many of the mornings during World Youth Day began with catechesis. A few times the catechesis was held in the Vivo Rio concert hall, which was filled with at least 10,000 Englishspeaking pilgrims on those mornings.
“That was my first experience with so many young Catholics in one room,” he said. “I had fun praising God with all that music, clapping and jumping around with everyone else.”
Like Regene, Justin said World Youth Day gave him the push he needed to inspire more youths to join youth groups, and promote more youth activities at his parish.
“All the parents go to church, but their kids don’t,” he said. “We have at least 300 kids at our church and they barely attend (Mass). I want to start renewing the Church so we have more youth.”
For Malcolm, 16, World Youth Day was an experience that was full of adventure.
But it also spurred deep reflection, he said, recalling a moment during a catechesis by Boston’s Cardinal Sean O’Malley that “really hit home” for the Eatontown youth. One of the pilgrims had asked the cardinal, ‘How do you respond to atheists who say people who believe in God just don’t believe in themselves?’ Malcolm admitted that not that long ago he used to think that way, but over the past few years his faith has gotten stronger. He said the main thing about World Youth Day that reassured his faith was seeing so many people from different countries who believe the same thing he believes. Mahal, 19, a student at Monmouth University, West Long Branch, admitted that her World Youth Day experience was more fulfilling than she expected. A few years ago, she said, when she first began planning to go to Rio, she looked at the trip as a vacation. “But as time went on I just wanted to strengthen my faith and get closer with God,” she said.
Mahal was thinking of her boyfriend, and their faith as a couple when she reflected on many of the testimonies given in catechesis sessions about God’s calling to nuns, priests and married couples. “When they spoke about marriage I said ‘I really want that to be me,” she added.
She can’t wait to share the stories of her pilgrimage, and tell people what she experienced spiritually and emotionally. “I saw how much love was there, and I just want to bring that back with me.”
