Young adults from diocese attend World Youth Day in Cologne, Germany

By KATIE LEFEBVRE, Globe staff reporter
September 1, 2005

World Youth Day 2005 was held in Cologne, Germany with youth from the Sioux City Diocese attending.

Two young women from Sioux City, Monica Arreola and Norma Azpeitia, traveled with a group from Illinois. Kim Kleinsmith of St. Joseph Parish in Wall Lake went with a group from Sleepy Eye, Minn., and a set of triplets - Andy, Clare and Jeff Ellis - from Sacred Heart in Ida Grove traveled to Germany with the Schoenstatt organization of which they are members and with whom they already had friends. Other youth from the diocese were also able to experience World Youth Day (WYD).

World Youth Day was held from Aug. 16 to 21 with the theme of "We have come to worship him." During WYD, attendees were able to experience daily Masses, reconciliation, catechesis, music, prayers, pilgrimages to the Cathedral of Cologne and the final Mass and vigil with Pope Benedict XVI at the Marienfeld.

Arreola and Azpeitia left for WYD on Aug. 14 and returned on Aug. 22. They flew out of Omaha and met up with a group from Aurora, Ill. Juan Garcia, assistant for Hispanic ministry in the Diocese of Sioux City, had set them up the group. Mario Delgado, vocational promoter from the Missioners of the Sacred Heart in Aurora, arranged for the two young women to travel with their group.

"Two years ago when my youth group went to Toronto, Canada, I really wanted to go, but I was in school and didn't have the money," said Azpeitia, a parishioner at Cathedral of the Epiphany in Sioux City. "Juan Garcia always told me how exciting it was to see the pope and to be with youth from different parts of the world sharing your faith. That is something I wanted to do."

The group stayed in a convent for retired nuns of the Missioners of the Sacred Heart while in Germany. They were in Bergich-Glabach, a small town, and they went to morning prayer each day in that town. At 9 a.m. they participated in catechesis that provided topics mainly surrounding the Eucharist since it is the Year of the Eucharist, stated Azpeitia. Some topics included how youth participate in the Eucharist and how the Eucharist can change people's lives.

There were also Christian concerts in different languages for people to choose from. Azpeitia pointed out that she was only able to attend one due to them being far from where they were staying.

Azpeitia was also able to experience the closing Mass. She and her group camped the night before.

"I was feeling so little being around thousands of people," said Azpeitia. "At the same time, I felt very special. It was like he (the pope) was talking to each of us. He said things that really touched your heart like when he said the message in Spanish for all the Spanish speakers. He said that we have found the Lord, and he wanted us to continue to worship with him in our hearts."

She concluded that "maybe we don't speak the same language, but we have the same faith in common."

"Now that I know my faith more deeply, I think I want to share with other youth that faith and being a Catholic is not just going to Mass every Sunday, it is to be involved in your community to help other people no matter where they come from," said Azpeitia. "Who cares if you speak English or if you speak Spanish - the faith is what counts."

According to Kleinsmith, the group she went with, Schoenstatt Sisters from Sleepy Eye, Minn., left for Germany on Aug. 6 and returned on Aug. 22. They went early to tour and stayed in Vallandar and Cologne, Germany.

"I wanted to go see the pope, and it was nice to see the other 1.4 million people that were there," said Kleinsmith, a high school senior.

While she was there, she was able to see "the different cultures coming together as Catholics celebrating being together and time with the Holy Father."

"It is really nice to know that there are so many people out there that are proud to be Catholic," said Kleinsmith. "They are happy to live as strong Catholics and want to be Catholic."

This was Kleinsmith's first WYD and pointed out that Mass with the pope was a highlight for her.

The Ellis triplets are high school juniors and the children of Dan and Ruth Ellis of Ida Grove. Clare had decided two years ago to go and she, in turn, encouraged her brothers to join her. Andy and Jeff then got busy in the time remaining to help earn some of the money needed.

The siblings are grateful that their local Knights of Columbus Council along with the Altar Society of their Sacred Heart Parish contributed to their cause. Just being able to visit Europe was an incentive and being that it was in Germany added to this since their mother's family is German.

A highlight of the trip for Clare was the vigil with 1.2 million youth in attendance and the Cathedral for Andy.

Clare said, "I took home with me a new appreciation of the universality of the church."

The three were also able to spend time in Vallandar, Germany and at Cambrai, France.

"It was an amazing experience - definitely worth it," said Andy. He stated that he thinks the new pope is an "awesome guy with a really powerful presence."

Jeff added that the trip was "pretty incredible." All three plan to attend the next WYD in Australia in 2008 and are encouraging other teens to go. Clare commented that she is anxious and that three years is too long to wait.

Arriving at the airport in Frankfort, Germany, was exciting for the three, but the departure was hard because they had to say good-bye to their friends in the group. They were with these teens for three weeks and became like family. They have exchanged e-mail addresses with those they met along with home addresses and plan on keeping in touch.

(Darlene Ann Lansink, a parishioner at Sacred Heart Church in Ida Grove, contributed to this story.)