By: Father Pinto Paul, C.S.C. on August 15th, 2023
We just returned from World Youth Day in Lisbon. Our experience was uplifting as it unfolded a radiant tapestry of faith, unity, and inspiration. Under the theme "Mary, Wake up the Youth of the World!" over 1.5 million young souls from diverse corners of our Earth converged in Portugal to renew their commitment to Christ. This event, a beacon of youthful zeal and deepened faith, is a testament to the power of Mary's intercession and to the impact of a faith community united in hope.
Today we find ourselves on the threshold of another sacred occasion—the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven. In this moment, the call to awaken the youth echoes with greater depth, for the Assumption beckons us to contemplate Mary's own spiritual awakening as she transcended the limitations of this world.
The theme, "Mary, Wake up the Youth of the World!" resonates not only with the youth, but also with families and the entire Church. As we gather in this celebration, we are drawn to the heart of our faith—a call to awaken to the beauty of God's love and to embrace our role as catalysts for change, hope, and justice in our world.
Today, we also thank God for Blessed Basil Anthony Moreau, the founder of the Congregation of Holy Cross. As we stand on the threshold of our founder's 150th anniversary of entering eternal life, we are reminded of Blessed Basil Anthony Moreau's dedication to the transformative power of hope. His life's work, coupled with Mary's intercession, illuminates the path before us—a path of humility, service, and unwavering trust in God's providence.
Let us embrace the lessons of World Youth Day and the feast of the Assumption with open hearts. May we widen the scope of our hope to embrace the grandeur of God's plans for us. Let us be the generation that awakens the world, guided by Mary's example and emboldened by our founder's legacy. Just as Mary's assumption transformed her from handmaid to Queen, and just as Blessed Basil Anthony Moreau's legacy endures, may our hope transform us into vessels of Christ's love and agents of His peace.
Father Pinto Paul C.S.C., ordained a priest in the Congregation of Holy Cross in 1999, worked with tribal populations in northeast India as a missionary for ten years. In 2010 he came to the US for further studies. While working as a campus minister at Stonehill College, he assisted pastors in local parishes, led seminars and workshops for teachers and students in the US and earned a master’s degree in Educational Administration from Boston College and a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from Lesley University, Cambridge. He is currently working as the International Director of the Boston-based Holy Cross Family Ministries with missions in 18 countries.