Grażyna Starzak
How is going on the preparation for this feast of Christian youth among the Salesians?
It’s long time we are getting ready, taking great care for the preparation. Being the hosting people we are trying our best for our guests. We desire that they will carry away beautiful memories. They are welcomed in the country of Saint John Paul II, who masterminded the WYD! Beside, whenever Salesians meet young people, a joyful feast is born: I believe it will be so also this time. It is what I wish and dream for.
On the 27th of July, during the YWD, there will be the feast of the Salesian Youth Movement. How did such movement begin?
The Salesian Youth Movement (SYM) is characterized by its youthful origin: the youth themselves, spontaneously, brought SYM to life. As ‘birth-day’ one can take the meeting of young people from all over the world in September 1988 in Colle Don Bosco, for the first centenary of the death of Don Bosco. This unforgettable experience of communion was like the yeast of SYM. Today many groups and associations are part of SYM, or – better still – make it. They keep their organizational autonomy, work in different places and in a great variety of ways, but they identify themselves with the Salesian spirituality and pedagogy. One of the SYM feature is the desire to come together once in a while. And when there is a meeting there is as well a feast, like during the Bicentenary in Turin, and even before, during the WYD 2013 in Rio de Janeiro.
You have already participated to other WYD. Which memories do you carry along?
I participated three times to the WYD: in 1991 at Częstochowa, in 2000 at Rome and in 2002 at Toronto. Any time and place brings back a unique remembrance. At Częstochowa I attended as a student of theology, in charge of welcoming 200 people coming from east Europe. During the year 2000 I reached Rome straight from Częstochowa – where there was a parallel WYD going on, for 100.000 Polish young people – just for the final ceremony, travelling by car with two colleagues of mine.
I remember a cool night at Tor Vergara and John Paul II, already weak, talking with a strong voice. He had such an impact on young people, and when he was coming in their midst it was always something extraordinary. I remember that as soon someone shouted: ‘The Pope is here!’ everybody left there and then what he or she was doing, and run to see him.
Exactly the same took place in Toronto…
