When I was asked if I would like to attend the Youth Rally
during Pope Benedict XVI’s visit, I was stunned. I had known that
the pope would be visiting New York, but I never thought that I
would actually have the opportunity to get anywhere remotely close
to him. I eagerly said that I would attend, but I couldn’t have
ever imagined what the experience would actually be like.
The highlight of the day was, of course the arrival of the pope
and his address to the crowd, during which he spoke about what it
meant to be a young Catholic in America. However, the thing that
really struck me was the sheer amount of young people, and
seminarians, that were there because of their faith. Sometimes,
I’ll go to my parish for a mass or an event, and I end up feeling
so out of place and alone because there are so few Catholics my age
who are involved and I feel sad for them and the future of the
church. But after attending the youth rally, and seeing just how
many young people were there, the future of the Church doesn’t seem
quite so bleak. On the contrary, I now feel hope and confidence in
a bright future for the Catholic Church in America.