By RICK SNIZEK, Executive Editor
For Father Joseph Brice, the sight of more than one million young people from around the world, who converged on Lisbon, Portugal, for the opening Mass to kick off World Youth Day, was one of his fondest memories from his participation in the triennial event this year.
“They remained so focused and silent during the consecration and reception of the Eucharist,” Father Brice, associate pastor of St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Providence, said in an interview with The Rhode Island Catholic from the Portuguese capital.
“That’s the heart of our faith. They seem to get it. That gives me goosebumps.”
The event, the second time that Father Brice has attended World Youth Day, would become even more memorable as it unfolded.
The last time that he participated in a Mass with Pope Francis was back in 2016, when World Youth Day was held in Krakow, Poland, and Father Brice was a transitional deacon anticipating his ordination to the priesthood.
“Attending Mass with Pope Francis and thousands of other priests from around the world was a privilege,” he remembered. “It was like a father gathering his children around the family table to share what they hold to be most endearing and enduring in common. Such unity is what makes the Catholic faith so unique and appealing.”
As a priest, concelebrating the closing Mass with the Holy Father at this year’s World Youth Day was even more special for him.
“This one was different because I was able to utter the same word of consecration as he and in the same language he speaks — Spanish. That was an unforgettable moment to me,” he said.
Equally unforgettable for him this year was witnessing the faith and devotion of so many priests around the world in a palpable way. He found it to be “invigorating and refreshing” to see.
Father Brice was one of three leaders of a small delegation from Rhode Island traveling to World Youth Day, along with Deacon Timothy Flanigan, M.D., and Providence College Professor Dr. Matthew Cuddeback, who brought his children to the blessed event.
Also taking part in the pilgrimage were Sister Josemaria Pence, principal of St. Pius V School in Providence; Deisy Estrada, a student teacher at Providence College; and Deacon Flanigan’s brother Bob Flanigan and his children.
On their way to Lisbon, the group stopped in the Azores for a two-day visit, where they met up with a delegation from the Diocese of Fall River, a diocese which, like Providence, has many ties to the Portuguese community in the islands, as well as on the mainland.
The group also visited Fatima, Portugal, where they participated in a large outdoor Mass celebrated by Boston Cardinal Seán O’Malley.
“The Azores brought us together as a group, and then showed us the deep faith of the Azoreans for Our Lady, and for the Holy Spirit and our Lord and Savior,” Deacon Flanigan said.
The Mass at Fatima was a special moment for all gathered, he said.
“How beautiful it was to be in the candlelight procession together,” he said.
Deacon Flanigan noted that when the three children saw the vision of Mary in the field at Fatima, Lucia asked, “What do you ask of us?”
“And that is the same question that we need to ask Mary in our prayers. ‘Mary, what you ask of us,’ and then follow her because she will lead us straight to Jesus Christ.”
Sister Josemaria told Rhode Island Catholic that she has been blessed to attend five World Youth Days, beginning in Paris in 1997 with now-Saint John Paul II, followed by Rome in 2000 and Toronto in 2002. Like Father Brice, she also attended the event in Poland in 2016.
“World youth day is a true pilgrimage, which means that it’s always a time of grace,” she said.
Sister Josemaria said that this year’s event resonates deeply with her local school community.
“Many of the families who attend St. Pius V School are of Portuguese descent, both from the continent and the islands. I loved savoring and experiencing the places that my families talk about with so much love and devotion,” she said.
She noted that Our Lady of Fatima has been a special patron of this world youth day because when she appeared, she encouraged all to pray a daily rosary and to embrace the daily sufferings of life as a penance that we can offer for others.
“The saints of Fatima, specifically, Francesco and Jacinta, are child saints. They are the youngest non-martyred saints in our church,” she noted.
“As the principal of Saint Pius V School, I see daily that holiness is not the privilege of adults, but it’s available to young children as well. Holiness and happiness are possible to anyone who is open to grace. This is true for our students at our elementary schools, our high schools, in our families and the youth of the entire world. This is the message of World Youth Day.”
As World Youth Day came to a close, Father Brice lamented that the media can report a very different story from what is really happening on the ground in Europe with regard to the Catholic faith.
“They seem to say that the faith is weak and dying in Europe. However, those young French, Spanish, Germans, Portuguese and Italians that I met have no weak and dying faith,” he observed.
“The conversations I had with them tell me they need strong, clear-eyed vision, good preaching and guidance. But the risen Lord is well alive in them. I’m grateful to have witnessed this.”
