Youth Pilgrimage

We are the youth of the families in mission from Saint Michael’s Roman Catholic Parish in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. We are looking forward to having a personal encounter with Christ in the U.S.A Youth Pilgrimage from July 16 to July 25. We are working together to raise funds and would appreciate your support; God will repay you a hundredfold! After being faced with many personal and spiritual obstacles during the pandemic, God invites us to keep His spirit alive by spreading the Good News of the love of God. This pilgrimage is an opportunity for us to be surrounded by youth that share our faith and to listen to the word of the Lord. Embarking on this pilgrimage allows us to strengthen our relationship with God and to receive the courage we need to be Christian men and women. 


YOU can also be a part of our pilgrimage in spirit with your prayers and through your generous donations!


We invite you to read some of our youth experiences below: 


I have experienced the love of Christ in my life even in my rebellion. In 2016, my family moved to Philadelphia as a missionary family and seeing the reality around the parish, my neighborhood and especially Kensington, the first thing I wanted to do was run away. I had never seen so many homeless people, drug addicts, and shootings in my life and it made me question my mission here in Philadelphia. However, being in the mission for 5 years and going door to door announcing the love of God in the streets has opened my eyes to see the suffering these people are going through and to give them a word of hope like I have received.  (Clara Matamoros, 20)

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I was raised as a traditional Catholic, going to Mass every Sunday morning and helping in my church but I realized that I was living a double life. I was also living in the world and doing the same things all my friends did, having a boyfriend, going to parties, drinking, sex. Once I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis and Lupus, I was devastated because I felt that it ruined my plans and that God was punishing me for all the things I had done. Then, I started living my life as a checklist: go to school, have a career, have a boyfriend, make money. I studied so hard to get my Masters and gain money that I forget about what truly matters GOD.  Thanks to this sickness, I was able to lift my eyes to the Lord and ask for mercy in the midst of my pain and suffering. Since that moment I understood that God never stopped loving me. It did not matter what I did. He was the one holding my hand at all times. I started seeing my condition as a blessing because it brought me closer to him. Today, I give glory to the Lord for saving me. His love has brought me peace and courage to be able to leave my career and family to evangelize, to announce his love. (Jessica, 26)
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I come from a family of 11 and growing up, I felt as if my parents focused more on my other siblings than me. These feelings led me to be rebellious against my parents and God for having been part of a larger family compared to friends and others I knew. This frustration and anger grew into blaming God for giving me a big family because it seemed more like a burden than a blessing back then. I believed God to be a monster for giving me a life that didn't meet my standards or for a life that I couldn't change; for feeling like I wasn't given the attention from my parents and led me to feel the same way about everyone in my life. This became suffering in my life that did not allow me to see God's love and mercy but instead led me to be more rebellious by disobeying my parents, lying, prioritizing others, and not caring for my family although my anger wasn't their fault. 


Then in 2016, I was given the opportunity to be a part of the World Youth Day in Krakow, Poland where the words of love that the Pope spoke about changed my life. Being there and hearing that God had loved me despite of who I was and how His love was stronger than the anger and frustration within me truly changed my life. This word of love is what changed me as a person and to change my attitude towards my family. I no longer felt as if my family was a burden or suffering, but instead that they are a gift of God in which He gave me the parents and siblings that He did to show me His love. I truly say today that thanks to this pilgrimage of faith on World Youth Day, I have grown in my faith and in my love for God, and this July, I have the opportunity to be a part of yet another pilgrimage where I can find myself surrounded by the love of God and to grow more in my faith. It's only thanks to God that I can see forgiveness, love and mercy through my beautiful family and I pray to continue to build my faith through this pilgrimage. (Moises Coronado, 19)