Argentine nun Maria Galina confirmed her Carmelite charism at the World Youth Day in Madrid. She feels oneness among different peoples, cultures, languages, experiences and charisms.
(Vatican News Network) Argentine nun Maria Catalina Gasco Gonzalez is a member of the Carmelite Order and is in charge of Casa Martin, the birthplace of Mother Teresa, the birthplace of Jesus Christ. She told this news website about her experience of participating in the World Youth Day in Madrid in 2011, saying: “I was searching for my place in the Church. At the World Youth Day that year, I found the answer I was looking for.” The World Youth Day 12 years ago helped Maria Galina to discern her vocation.
I long to find my place in the church
In 2011, Maria Galina set out from her motherland, Argentina, and walked with the young people in the church to participate in the World Youth Day International Gathering held in Madrid. That was her first time participating in the World Youth Festival. The young Maria Galina first participated in a two-week itinerary before the World Youth Day, making pilgrimages in Italy, Portugal, and Spain to broaden her knowledge and understand the diversity of charism in the church.
Tent of Encounter
The World Youth Day has a unique space called “The Tent of Encounter”. Maria Galina felt strongly the power of prayer there. Eager to learn more about her vocation when she came out of the tabernacle, she visited the booths of each religious family present. She took some materials at each booth, until she passed the Carmelite booth, and her heart throbbed. She had never heard of the Carmelites before, but she was immediately drawn to their charism and spirituality.
Sister Maria Galina said: “Obviously, at that moment I understood that I had a Carmelite soul, and the Carmelites were my place in the Church. In Spain, I knew the charism hidden in my heart, but I never knew it. That was the first step in my understanding of it. As I understood it more and more, I came to this place today.”
World Youth Day leaves an indelible mark
WYD left an “indelible mark” in the heart of the young Maria Catherine. She said: “For young people, this wonderful opportunity also helps to understand that there is a place for everyone in the Church. It is an encounter that helps you look inward and see others as gifts. It sounds like an ideal world, because it is so beautiful to see strangers greet each other and point fingers when they don’t speak the language. At WYD, we feel like family.”
The Pope’s closeness to God
After the WYD Global Gathering, many people discovered their vocation. Sister Maria Galina shared that those intense days provided an opportunity to deepen understanding and grow spiritually and humanly. “Surrounded by people from all over the world and with different cultures, but united in the same faith, the only language of love, as brothers and sisters in faith and in Christ.”
World Youth Day allows people to “experience the living faith and the living Church”. Sister Maria Galina concluded by referring to Pope Francis, also from Argentina, saying: “In him we clearly see the qualities of the Argentine people. His presence reminds me how close our God is to us!”
Link URL: www.vaticannews.cn
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2023-07-25 07:59:43
