Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile: 74 UC youth received the sacraments of Christian initiation
Baptism, Confirmation and First Communion were the sacraments that 74 young people received on Saturday, November 6, among students and UC officials, at the Church of the Sacred Heart of the San Joaquín Campus.
The protagonists of the ceremony, who arrived to confirm their faith in Christ , lived a long journey of preparation, with a year-long process of formation and reflection, in which they grew closer to Christ, participated in the life of the Church and they shared the joy of faith.
Monsignor Alberto Lorenzelli, auxiliary bishop of Santiago, celebrated one of the ceremonies (four in total) and encouraged the young people to live the joy of being children of God and bear witness to that faith, pointing out that “we are in particular times, not just that of the pandemic; we live in times where, many times, it is difficult to bear witness to one’s own faith. And finding a group of people, young people and adults, who say ‘Here I am, Lord’, is a great reason for joy, (…) because in each one of you the same archdiocese, the same Christian community is renewed ” .
We live in times where, many times, it is difficult to bear witness to one’s own faith. And finding a group of people, young people and adults, who say ‘Here I am, Lord’, is a great reason for joy – Monsignor Alberto Lorenzelli
“Faith is a gift from God, and it also requires our commitment. ‘Here I am, Lord’ means that you want to be a believer, a person of faith, a witness to the faith. And it is a faith that must be cultivated, cared for and nurtured then ”, added Archbishop Lorenzelli.
For his part, Monsignor Cristián Castro, also auxiliary bishop of Santiago, recalled that “in the sacraments, in each one of them, a delicacy and a gesture of God’s love for us is expressed” , and that ―for the same reason― the we need in our life.
“We need these sacraments like someone who needs water to live; the inner strength of the Spirit to be witnesses of the Lord and of his death and resurrection. We need that food so that our life can be extended and we have the longing for Eternal Life ”, he said.
“I am very happy to have received the Sacrament of Confirmation and my heart is jubilant to continue my life seeking to get closer to Jesus every day” – Lilia Díaz, UC Psychology student.
In this sense, Lilia Díaz, a UC Psychology student who received the confirmation this Saturday, said that this experience was “really wonderful. He longed to receive the grace of the Holy Spirit and the young people who participate, lead and guide the Sacraments were a very important pillar in achieving divine blessing. (…) I am very happy to have received the Sacrament of Confirmation and my heart is jubilant to continue my life seeking to get closer to Jesus every day ”.
A path of preparation … in a pandemic
Since April, 74 young people have been preparing to receive their sacraments of Christian initiation, through weekly catechesis, spaces for formation and reflection, accompaniment by men and women religious, adapting to a mixed modality to maintain contact.
In this sense, Monsignor Castro expressed feeling joy for this step in the life of faith of the young people. “In this time that has been complex, even in adversity, you have persevered in faith, you have opted for your formation, your catechesis and today you are saying ‘Lord, let’s continue walking together, I want to continue walking with you, I want to make my life with you. ‘
“It is a gift for our university and our Church to see how so many young people belonging to our community have decided to confirm their faith and to be agents of evangelization in a world full of challenges for Catholics; It is something that undoubtedly fills us with hope and motivates us as a university ministry ”, expressed Benjamin Cruz, director of UC Pastoral.
“It is a gift for our university and our Church to see how so many young people belonging to our community have decided to confirm their faith and be agents of evangelization” – Benjamín Cruz, UC Pastoral director.
In addition, he added that “ the ceremonies last Saturday were a gift and an impulse to continue growing in their faith , and that is why from Pastoral UC we hope to continue offering them spaces to deepen their friendship with God, through various initiatives according to their interests: a new stage begins in their lives ”.
This year, due to health restrictions resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic, four ceremonies were held in order to comply with the capacity allowed by the health authority. These were celebrated by Monsignor Cristián Castro, Monsignor Alberto Lorenzelli, Monsignor Julio Larrondo and Monsignor Carlos Godoy.