Help Our Youth in their 2024 Vocation Pilgrimage

We invite you to support and send 65 people (teens & young adults, along with their adult catechists) on a Youth Vocational Pilgrimage 2024 in early July that will take them to many holy places and sites that have marked history in the United States.

Their past pilgrimages, most recently to World Youth Day - Portugal (2023), have given them an authentic experience of Jesus Christ Risen in their lives, which has served to enlighten their sufferings, strengthen their resolve to persevere to fight against the lures of the world and allow them to experience true joy in relationship to our Lord.

Here is a letter our youth have written for you:

Hello!

We are the youth from St. Joachim Parish in New Britain, in the Hartford Archdiocese and we are currently raising money to attend a pilgrimage all around the United States this summer with the youth of the parish and of the archdiocese.

Last year we were able to go to the World Youth Day in Lisbon and it was a very powerful experience through which we met the love of God. All of us received a personal word from God to our concrete sufferings and also to discover our vocation in life. It was very comforting to see other catholic youth from all around the world to see that we are not alone in this battle. Christ is truly risen and is alive in his Church!

This pilgrimage is very special to us because of how difficult it is to live today as a Catholic teen. The pressures from technology, friends, and society preach to us principles that are the opposite of our faith. And being a high school student, with all the challenges that come with that, made it even harder. My faith community in St. Joachim was and is the only meaningful connection I have to peers and to Jesus Christ. This group helps us because it is the one place I can go where we can hear the truth.

Previous pilgrimages have helped us to discover Jesus Christ concretely and are helping us to see how God acts in the specific events of our lives. During this pilgrimage, we will be able to see many meaningful shrines and holy places and see how these places can connect to my everyday life and it will also help me to begin to discern my vocation.

The cost of the entire trip is $2,800. we are hoping to raise this money with your generous help, to be able to go on this pilgrimage and have this important experience in our lives. Know that by any help you can offer, you are making a small investment in the future of our Church.

We greatly appreciate anything you might be able to donate at this time. We will also be accepting any prayer requests to be prayed for at the many holy sites we will visit.

Thank you in advance for your consideration and support.

Sincerely,

The youth from St. Joachim Parish

If you prefer to donate through other means you can contact Fr. Israel Rivera at:

St. Joachim Parish,

544 Main St, New Britain, CT 06051

Here some pictures from our last year pilgrimage to Lisbon: