"God is waiting for you" Cardinal Tobin tells youth ahead of pilgrimage to Lisbon

More than 40 young adults will travel to Lisbon, Portugal for World Youth Day in August as representatives from the Archdiocese of Newark.  

On Tuesday, March 28, Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R. celebrated Mass at St. Pius X Church in Old Tappan to bless their pilgrimage. The group, ranging in age from 18 to 34, was joined by around 200 parishioners for the Mass.  

Father Kevin Kilgore, pastor of St. Pius, who will accompany the young adults on their six-day journey, explained that this pilgrimage to Lisbon has been “a desire the Lord placed in my heart” nearly a year ago. Initially, he was only intending to bring some parishioners, but Cardinal Tobin lent his support, and the Archdiocese of Newark was able to offer $40,000 in scholarships, which saw the group grow to more than 40 young adults. 

Over 400,000 youth are expected to attend World Youth Day 2023, a Catholic pilgrimage event for young people from all over the world, which includes a visit by the Pope, according to the Vatican.   

As a way of preparing the pilgrims, Cardinal Tobin imparted some advice from his journeys in life – specifically noting that pilgrimages are a special way to unlearn the notion that we have God figured out.

Throughout his homily, Cardinal Tobin returned to the concept of listening for God along the way. A pilgrimage is never for the pilgrims, it’s for Jesus, he reminded those in attendance. “And Jesus can use us,” he said. “You don’t write the script; all you have to do is listen.”

World Youth Day pilgrims listen as Cardinal Tobin delivers his homily. (Joe Jordan / Archdiocese of Newark)

To illustrate how to listen for God, Cardinal Tobin recalled one story from his past pilgrimages. He would pray daily in a chapel in Rome with other priests from around the world and one priest from Germany brought an image of Jesus from his homeland. It hung above the tabernacle and Cardinal Tobin described it as “striking.” 

“Jesus was never looking straight at you,” he recalled. “You could only see half of his face. And sitting in front of that for about 18 years in Rome, I began to realize that the psalm that we pray – ‘Lord, show us your face. Show us who you really are’ – is a prayer that He answers, but not right away. He answers it as we listen to His Word, as we celebrate His sacramental presence, and He answers it through the people with whom we walk.” 

Towards the end of Mass, one of the young adults, Danielle Gherardi, spoke for the group of pilgrims and emphasized an eagerness to “arise and go in haste”—a reference to the Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth, who was pregnant with John the Baptist. 

Gherardi, who was born on June 24 (the Feast of John the Baptist), feels a special connection to that passage – of Mary supporting Elizabeth without hesitation, moved by faith. For the last three years, Gherardi has been moved to support others in their faith by founding the local young adult group F.U.E.L (Faithfully United in Eucharistic Life), and she sees the World Youth Day pilgrimage as a continuation of that support. 

“For me, attending World Youth Day is an opportunity to step back for a brief moment and to share in my faith … It’s a way for me to see the faith alive in young people from around the world as a reminder that we are not alone. That faith spans oceans, languages, and cultures,” Gherardi said. “Being involved in this ministry [of F.U.E.L.] for three years, I have seen just how impactful friends in faith can be, both during the good times and the challenging times. I pray that my fellow pilgrims can take a leap of faith in their spiritual journeys and follow Mary’s example to arise and go in haste, whatever that looks like for them.” 

Danielle Gherardi speaks about her experience in young adult ministry. (Joe Jordan / Archdiocese of Newark)

For the pilgrims, World Youth Day is just that: a leap of faith. A journey to an unfamiliar place, encountering unfamiliar people. Cardinal Tobin noted that while they will find many good things along the way, there will also be some bad moments, too – and to not let that deter them in their journey. 

“The local food may disagree with you for a little while” he joked. “The bed – if there is a bed – may not be entirely to your liking. But don’t get lost in that. Listen to the people along the way and know that God is waiting for you.”