By Emilie Ng
BRISBANE World Youth Day pilgrims were welcomed with hot chocolate, South American-flavoured Masses and visits to some of Santiago’s beautiful Catholic monuments as part of their pre-WYD week in Chile.
The pilgrims arrived in Santiago, Chile, on July 16, the national holiday for the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, the patroness of Chile.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel is also known as the Queen and Mother of the Military.
Hundreds of people, including the Brisbane pilgrims, visited the Shrine of Maipu, located 20 minutes from Santiago.
The shrine was built in honour of the Virgin Mother by Bernardo O’Higgins, who gave Chile independence from Spain in 1818.
Pilgrims continued to their accommodation in Valparaiso, Retiro Del Buen Pastor, before meeting their host parish Sagrada Familia (Holy Family parish).
Lorena Palma Calderon, a mother from Sagrada Familia, organised the parish involvement for the Columban Mission immersion program in Valparaiso.
“We were very nervous on the first day, but everybody is relaxed now,” she said.
The program included guest presentations from a social worker from a health-care centre that provides both palliative and preventative care for sufferers of domestic violence, and a police officer who gave an overview of the work of the Valparaiso Police Service.
Pilgrims also feasted on traditional Chilean food, freshly prepared by a local chef, helped by many of the parishioners.
Grace Aupito Iuliano, from St Joseph the Worker Parish, in Wulguru, Townsville, is on the Brisbane pilgrimage, and said the Chilean parish was “very hospitable”.
“… I thought I was coming to do intense mission work, but they’ve really treated us like special guests,” Miss Iuliano said.
She said the Columban order had prepared an excellent program highlighting the similarities between Chile and Australia.
“It’s just been a great integration of both cultures, coming together,” she said.
“We’ve found a lot of similarities, which is quite surprising, for example, the eucalyptus tree is here, and how the Pacific Ocean connects both countries.
“The Columbans have really offered that great opportunity to come out and see this beautiful land, and they’ve planned it so well.”
Many of the Columban fathers in Valparaiso came from Ireland, and have remained in Chile to work with the local people.
Miss Iuliano said she was inspired by them.
“They’re such a part of the Chilean culture, and they speak the language so well,” she said.
“I find that so amazing.
“They’re just a part of the family.
“I don’t know if I could travel to a foreign land, learn the language, and minister in such a confronting way.”
Daniel Ignacio Aguayo Poblette is a local high school student and parishioner of Sagrada Familia.
He was chosen to make a pilgrimage to World Youth Day with Kevin Sheriin, a lay Columban missionary.
Mr Igancio Aguayo Poblette said he was excited about going to World Youth Day.
“As a young person, it’s an opportunity to show with the rest of the world that the faith is alive, instead of something that is dying or irrelevant,” he said.
“It is very difficult to live as a Catholic in Valparaiso. A lot of young people are not following the Church, and there is a lot of peer pressure to not go to Mass.”
