Memories of Madrid #3 - Katrina Read

My name is Katrina Read and I have just experienced my first World Youth Day.

I didn’t know what to expect, I figured if nothing else it would be a free trip to Spain but it was so much more. I never realised there were so many practicing Catholics my age. The people I normally associate with are Catholic but not to the extent of the people I met on this pilgrimage.  

It was refreshing to be around a group of young people whose faith was so strong, I could ask questions and their answers were always so pure and honest, so straightforward, there was no arguing with them.  

I don’t know when exactly it happened, but one day I woke up and more than anything I wanted to go to mass. My perspective on so many issues had changed. I had been learning new things about my faith since the beginning, but didn’t realise it until I went to “Theology of the body”. “Theology of the body” was my favourite lecture on the pilgrimage. It was very inspiring and the speaker was captivating. Witnessing people in my parish grow in their faith was exciting, we had all matured so much in our faith.

Our group was turned away from the the overnight vigil, and it was devastating, but only for a short time. Someone in our group brought a guitar and began playing and singing, it lightened the mood and the positive attitude of our group also helped.  

My best memory of World Youth day happened right after attending the Stations of the Cross. A few years back I was really sick and I was angry with God because I didn’t understand why it happened to me. I held onto that anger for a long time but I never had the courage to confront it until this pilgrimage. I use to have arguments about why my faith was shaken and I could debate for hours and no one could get through to me. After attending Stations of the Cross I had no more arguments. It was such a wonderful feeling to let go of something that has haunted me for so long, I cried tears of joy, I was elated. That was my best memory of the pilgrimage and I know I will always remember how I felt that day. It changed my life.

I will be nineteen on my next pilgrimage; I haven’t been home for a week and I’m already counting the days until Brazil.