The four teenagers from Annunciation Parish in Waimea representing Hawaii at World Youth Day are, from left, Deeann Bokuku Pitiol, Helena Goto, Josiah DeLuz and Jaydon Tripp. (Photo courtesy of Larry Denis III)
This story is adapted from an article in the January 2019 newsletter for Annunciation Church and Ascension Mission.
Special to the Herald
In January, 13 Big Island pilgrims will travel to Panama City, Panama, to see Pope Francis and hundreds of thousands of other spirit-filled Catholics. They are headed for the 2019 World Youth Day, Jan. 22-27, a global gathering of the young, and young at heart, celebrating, absorbing, engaging, acclaiming and communing in their common faith.
Annunciation Parish in Waimea will send four youth to Panama accompanied by their pastor Father Stephen Macedo, the pastor of St. Michael Parish in Kailua-Kona, Father Lio Faletoi, three parents, three church-sponsored adults and another adult from Hilo.
Larry Denis III, one of the adult pilgrims, expects the experience to leave a lasting impression on the youth he will be accompanying.
“I hope our youth grow in their faith and come back from World Youth Day as stronger Catholics ready to evangelize and spread the Good News of our Lord Jesus Christ,” he said.
Teen pilgrim Jaydon Tripp wants to meet a lot of likeminded youth.
“I’m most looking forward to traveling and getting closer to other pilgrims, as well as meeting people from around the world who have the same beliefs as I do,” Tripp said.
World Youth Day was initiated by St. John Paul II in 1985. It has reconvened 14 times since then in various locations around the world. The Annunciation pilgrims are the only official travelers from Hawaii attending the Panama event. Hawaii has sent more people to previous Youth Days. Bishop Larry Silva, who also has attended many of them, is not going this year.
For more than a year, the pilgrims have been meeting monthly to prepare. The youth have created presentations on Panama’s culture and food, on safe traveling, and on the saints of World Youth Day, among them St. Juan Diego, St. John Bosco, St. John Paul II, St. Oscar Romero, St. Martin de Porres and St. Rose of Lima.
Some watched the movie “Pope Francis: A Man of His Word” when it was in town. They have also taken long hikes to prepare for the 11-mile “pilgrim walk” to see the Holy Father.
The event will take place over six days and will include catechesis, Mass, music, the Stations of the Cross, and opportunities for prayer and the sacrament of reconciliation. World Youth Day culminates with the walking pilgrimage to the site of the closing Mass, which Pope Francis will celebrate.
“I look forward to meeting all the different youth from all around the world, also seeing the pope,” said teen pilgrim Deeann Bokuku Pitiol. “I hope to learn more about our religion.”
Denis can’t wait to see the pope.
“That is definitely going to be a highlight,” he said. “I am also looking forward to meeting pilgrims from around the world and to be energized by their enthusiasm and love for our church.”
The pilgrimage will also offer opportunities to experience a foreign culture and to visit other spiritually significant sites.
“We will take a cruise down the Panama Canal,” Denis said. “We are looking forward to that!”
On the trip back home, the group will spend two days in Mexico City to visit the Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Mexican pyramids and other famous sites.
“I am excited to learn from the people we meet there and from the things we see,” said Helena Goto, another teen pilgrim.
The pilgrims are grateful to all who helped make this pilgrimage a financial reality.
“A large amount of the pilgrimage has been funded by a generous and anonymous donor,” Denis said. “Our youth worked hard doing work for this individual and, in turn, money was donated to the parish to help us pay for our pilgrimage.”
“The balance, and that of the three church-sponsored adults, is being paid for by our parish through our stewardship efforts,” he said.
The Big Island group will depart Jan. 20 and return Jan. 30.
The Hawaii youth attending World Youth Day are Deeann Bokuku Pitiol, Josiah DeLuz, Helena Goto and Jaydon Tripp. The adults going are Dorene Centeio, Bernie DeLuz, Jim DeLuz, Carol Ann Denis, Larry Denis III, Father Lio Faletoi, Flo Figuerres, Father Stephen Macedo and Trisha Tripp.
