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March 7, 2024By Tanya Connor | The Catholic Free Press
WORCESTER – Teenagers crowded around the altar at St. Joseph Church, adoring the Eucharist - Jesus - in the monstrance.
They sang. And sang. Some embraced, others gently placed a hand on the shoulder of a friend. All gestures of prayer and support.
After a while, the teens moved to the pews. Deacon Alex M. Garcia, who serves at St. Joseph and St. Stephen Parish, carried the Blessed Sacrament down the aisles as they cheered and applauded.
It was Sunday afternoon at a Lenten retreat for Brazilian youth. Leader Lucas Lima, 24, son of the main leader Sandra Lima, both of St. Joseph and St. Stephen Parish, said about 340 participants came from several states on Saturday. On Sunday, about 280 attended. In addition, there were 80 helpers, he said.
Mr. Lima highlighted two experiences there.
Before Sunday’s eucharistic adoration, speaker Fernando Magalhaes, of St. Joseph and St. Stephen, told the youth that Jesus was asking them to let him take away their addictions.
Moved, about a dozen young people brought forward their vaping devices and drugs, putting them before the cross, Mr. Lima said.
Explaining why some brought such things to a retreat, he said, “Some kids, it’s their first contact with the Church.”
Asked about follow-up planned with these young people, Mr. Lima said, “We’ll probably reach out to [their local] youth groups to see how they’re doing.”
Another powerful experience was Bishop McManus celebrating Mass for retreatants Sunday morning, Mr. Lima said.
“It felt like the Church was welcoming the youth,” he said. “A lot of times we go to church, but [this time] it felt like the Church was coming to us – through the bishop. It was amazing that we got to celebrate 25 years” of him being a bishop.
The Portuguese-language retreat also included confessions, talks, music, and plays and dances that youth groups from different parishes created, using themes connected with the talks, Mr. Lima said.
He said this was the fifth annual “Youth at the Foot of the Cross” retreat that leaders have organized for any interested Brazilian teenagers. The first ones brought young people from Massachusetts, then youth from other states started coming.
His mother said the retreats have been held each year since 2019, except for 2021, because of the coronavirus pandemic.
This year’s theme was “How to live a good Lent,” Mr. Lima said. While themes change, some speakers and topics of talks remain the same year to year.
“We usually get a new batch of kids; some are the same,” he said. He said most participants this year were from Massachusetts, but there were also some from Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and even South Carolina.
Among newcomers this year were leaders of the Hispanic youth group at St. Joseph and St. Stephen.
“We wanted to see what we could bring from this to our youth group,” explained Luis Sanchez, 19.
What did they want to bring back?
“Having that emotional connection to God,” he replied, “because young people today are very isolated.” He said the Brazilian community as a whole has fostered a place where youth are growing up surrounded by God.
His sister Cecilia Sanchez, 24, praised “the power of prayer they have.” She said she understood some of the Portuguese, and someone also translated things for her.
Brenda Lizardo, 18, called the retreat “a moving experience.”
“It changed my life,” she said. “I got closer to God and I feel there [were] a lot of things healed [in my life].
Amanda Silva, 25, from the Brazilian community at St. Joseph and St. Stephen, helped lead the music ministry and has helped with these retreats in the past.
The retreat makes her feel more connected to God, she said, adding that she appreciated hearing other people’s perspectives about the Bible.
“It fills our hearts with joy and love,” she said. “You just want to love everybody. … It’s hard to put in words – the love of God.”
“When God touches you, you can’t hold it in … you want other people to feel it,” said Amanda Moreira, 14, from Holy Family Parish in Rockland. She said that’s why she came to help; she too was involved with the singing.
“The more I serve God, the more he works on me and other people,” said her fellow parishioner Maria Barros, also 14, who was helping with “whatever God tells me to” at the retreat.
Many young people today need healing and need to feel God’s power, said Deacon Garcia, explaining that they experience problems in their families and schools. He said the retreat helps them come back to God, recognize they are his children, and understand his love and that he is with them in the fight against evil in the world.
“When God [touches] people, let him touch,” Deacon Garcia said. When God does the work, we must step out of the way. It was God who called the youth to come to the retreat from several places, he marveled.
The Limas said that most of this year’s helpers, including the five speakers, were from Mission Make Me Holy, a training and collaboration program which Mrs. Lima officially started last year at her parish to serve other parishes, with the blessing of Father Cleber de Paula, her associate pastor.
The monthly program held at St. Joseph Church is to provide spiritual formation and education in the faith to youth leaders or prospective youth leaders. Participants from distant states and those in Brazil attend via Zoom. Mrs. Lima said the focus is eucharistic adoration and learning from the Blessed Mother.
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