By Katie Vasquez and Alexandra Moyen
DOUGLASTON — Victor Paredes has dreamed of being a priest since he was 7 years old, when he first became an altar server. It wasn’t until a few months ago, however, that the 16-year-old began actively discerning the priesthood.
As Victor, one of the many young pilgrims who gathered for a special Jubilee send-off Mass on July 20, prepares for an upcoming pilgrimage to Rome with other young Catholics from the Diocese of Brooklyn, he said he hopes the experience will fortify his commitment.
“I’m hoping that this pilgrimage will make my path more clear,” said Victor, a parishioner of the Basilica of Regina Pacis in Dyker Heights. “Although I’m still having doubts, I’m applying for [seminary] next year, so I’m hoping I’ll have more confidence by the end of this pilgrimage, and my faith will be stronger.”
Victor Paredes prays with his cohort of pilgrims from the Basilica of Regina Pacis before starting their info-session with Father Kuroly. Victor said he hopes the pilgrimage successfully shows him his path as he looks forward to the priesthood. (Photos: Alexandra Moyen)
Father James Kuroly, the diocese’s director for Youth and Young Adult Ministry, urged the young pilgrims traveling for the Jubilee of Youth — from July 28 to Aug. 3 — to see their trip to Rome as “more than an invitation,” but as a divine calling.
During their time in Rome, he said, God will have a special message for all of them.
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“I hope that they have an encounter with Christ and the Church,” Father Kuroly said of the 87 young people who he said are participating in the pilgrimage. “An encounter that becomes such a transformative experience that they go back home into their parishes and live the message that our Holy Father will bring to them.”
Bishop Robert Brennan told the young pilgrims he looked forward to joining them on their trip to Rome and asked them to remember to open their hearts to God, deepening their bond with him.
The send-off Mass, held at the Immaculate Conception Center in Douglaston, was celebrated by Bishop Robert Brennan, who offered words of encouragement and blessed the group.
In his homily, Bishop Brennan reminded the group that they are not traveling alone, but are carrying the prayers and hopes of the entire diocese with them.
“Do you have broad shoulders?” Bishop Brennan said, before emphasizing the weight and privilege of their role. “You’re representing Brooklyn and Queens to the whole world, and that’s more than just symbolic.”
The Mass brought together faithful from nine parishes, including St. Athanasius Church in Bensonhurst, St. Pancras Church in Glendale, St. Mary Gate of Heaven Parish in South Ozone Park, St. Brigid Church in Bushwick, the Basilica of Regina Pacis in Bensonhurst, Most Precious Blood-Sts. Simon and Jude Parish in Gravesend, Our Lady of Mount Carmel-Annunciation Parish in Williamsburg, and Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Astoria.
Parishioners from St. John Chrysostom Church in the Bronx were also in attendance at the Mass. The church, which is part of the Archdiocese of New York, is sending a group on the pilgrimage with the diocese.
This will be Lezli Bermejo’s second pilgrimage with her parish, St. Brigid. Her first was to Lisbon, Portugal, for World Youth Day in 2023. This trip is especially meaningful, she said, because her pastor, Father Carlos Velásquez, invited her to participate.
Lezli Bermejo is looking forward to her second pilgrimage with her parish and said being chosen by her pastor to be part of her cohort of pilgrims feels like a blessing.
“This time, Father Carlos chose me, and it’s a blessing that I’m able to go, and without even having to ask,” Bermejo, 19, said. “I feel like it was meant to be, like it’s a calling and I am supposed to be there with everyone else who’s going.”
Bermejo, who is a lector and religious education teacher at St. Brigid and also works in the parish’s Confraternity of Christian Doctrine office and rectory, added that she is “very excited to see all these holy places, and especially the new pope.” She said she is also grateful to have received a blessing from Bishop Brennan at the July 20 Mass.
Claire Xue, a parishioner at the Basilica of Regina Pacis, said she feels the weight of the responsibility of her trip to Rome, adding that she is not only carrying her own prayer intentions, but also those of her entire parish community.
“I think this pilgrimage will definitely strengthen my faith because Rome is the holy city, and I hope to meet new people besides the pope, and hopefully, communicate and share our common beliefs,” she said.
As the pilgrims prepare for the trip, Bishop Brennan reminded them not only to bring their passports and itineraries, but also to bring their hearts open to God’s call. This way, they will encounter Christ and “know him as a friend,” he said.
Bishop Brennan acknowledged that the world tries to make people of faith feel like outsiders. However, this pilgrimage, he noted, will reveal that they are far from alone.
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“The world wants you to think that there’s something wrong with you, and just not part of the mainstream. You know what? Maybe we’re not part of the mainstream, but we’re certainly not a small group,” Bishop Brennan said. “When you see millions of other people, not only believe in what you believe, but joyfully celebrate what we believe, that can help us when we’re back home to live that faith authentically, and invite others on the journey.”