How the members of the Holy Family collaborated with young people during the World Days for Youth in Spain.
The Community of Malaga
 Our college was used for this great event. Fifty young Polish people lodged there and the community participated in all the main events with them in the city of Malaga. The Sisters recounted: “We witnessed 1500 young people, rooted in Christ and firm in their faith. The presence of this abundant life, a great gift to our city, filled us with joy and we were encouraged to continue to make efforts to help young people get in touch with Christ.”
The College of Our Lady of Loreto in Madrid
From Monday 15 August to Monday 22 August we welcomed 103 young people from Argentina, Taiwan, the Philippines and Korea. Over 47 volunteers helped to receive them – mothers of families from the parish and collaborators from the College itself. Some families welcomed young people into their homes, among them a lady of 79 years of age who gave lodging to 7 young girls. This was very much appreciated by the girls.
Maria Paz Clemente, Sister of the Holy Family, said the following: “I was very impressed by the way the young people participated in the Eucharist – their recollection, silence and interior peace, their general attitude. I was also struck by the attitude of the volunteers also – commitment, respect, cheerful service, good communication with the young and expert animation of the different groups. I am very grateful for the experience and gladdened by the wonderful spirit among the young people who are giving a great impetus to the life of the Church by their witness of faith, their joyful attitude and the certainty that the following of Jesus can give true meaning to our lives.”
Teachers in the College share their experience
“Our names are Natalie and Ruth, teachers in the College of Our Lady of Loreto. We have had a very good experience of these days; we have realised that love is possible, helping groups to work together as one, all sharing the same goals. It was amazing to see how the Pope’s visit brought so many people together – people of different languages and cultures to give witness of their faith.
It was inspiring to see the values of the Gospel being lived so generously – patient service, self-giving, humility and these values filtered down to others – crowd control personnel, transport officials, first aid workers and firms and businesses that collaborated in the events with donations of money. Those who at the beginning had come to share their mission rather than their faith were enthused by the lively faith they witnessed in young people who were rooted in Christ.”
From Collado Mediano....
 This is a town near Madrid in which the Holy Family has a community. “From the 15 to the 22 August, we hosted 82 young Irish people in our building. Another 574 Italians were put up in the public school and sports centre. Families in the town opened their houses to another 44. We opened the community to two girls and three boys. These young people helped us enormously. The whole town welcomed the young people with a specially prepared feast where all could enjoy themselves together. They ate together many times in the porch of the residence and sometimes they did not disperse until 2 in the morning. There was a lot to be done but we all helped one another and at the end we prepared a farewell party for the young people on their departure.”
From Clemente Fernandez (Madrid)
Three sisters from this community willingly volunteered to take part in this ecclesial event. We had been preparing for this for two years through a number of preparatory stages including sensitisation through catechesis, meetings and courses for volunteers and through celebrations for the whole town. We welcomed groups from Murcia. After that came groups from Austria, Portugal, France, Canada and Italy. In our house we put up 4 young people from Ecuador and they impressed us by the way they entered into this experience with deep personal prayer. In all the tasks we were engaged in – preparing and distributing meals, cleaning, looking after those who were sick – we experienced a deep experience of the universality and catholicity of the Church and we were overjoyed and filled with hope to see this multitude of young people 25,000 from different countries and ethnic groups and speaking different languages. We felt really sustained by the Lord at difficult moments and were delighted that we Sisters of the Holy Family could participate in such an important event. We lived these days profoundly, experiencing union, simple relationships, collaboration in the work we committed ourselves to do, strength in prayer, joy and happiness in service. It was a true experience of communion among us all.
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