Easter Experiences by our YVM teams in Spain and Portugal

During the days leading up to and during Holy Week, some young people from our Fatima Province took part in the Easter experiences that the YVM Team in Spain and Portugal had prepared. We tell you how they went:

Missionary and Contemplative Easter by the YVM Spain Team.

Since 2019 that took place in La Haba (Badajoz, Spain), the Missionary and Contemplative Easter experience was on hold due to the pandemic and post-pandemic of COVID19, taking place online. Since last year, the Team of PJV_Spain was already interested in carrying it out in Puebla Sancho Pérez, a village that is attended from the Claretian community that resides in Valencia del Ventoso (Badajoz).

Thus, in this year 2023 it has been possible to carry it out with the participation of about 20 people, with members of the Claretian Family. The welcome of the people was wonderful, in which it was possible to carry out activities with children and young people, to share and energise the celebrations and to experience what it is like to stay overnight in the houses of the people of the village.

In short, an experience that has reached the participants with a very clear message: live, jump, sing, pray, accompany, ask, call, adore, help, serve, contemplate, read, love… enjoy giving testimony of faith with your life.

The Team is especially grateful to the Claretian and parish community, especially Fr. Agustín Texeira, and at the same time hopes to resume with normality this type of convocations. After Easter, the way to the summer is already being prepared, as well as some other activities and presences.

 

Youth Easter in charge of the Portuguese YVM Team

The encounter of Portuguese young people who are part of the Claretian Family takes place every year in Carvalhos – Vila Nova de Gaia (Portugal), the weekend before Easter. This year, therefore, it took place from March 31 to April 2. It recreated the most important moments of Easter, such as the death and resurrection of Christ, in order to help the young participants to better understand these celebrations.

The weekend was very emotional and was an opportunity to share and meet Christ, as well as to work in groups on different themes: this year’s theme was Love and Charity.

We also share the testimony of Beatriz Pereira, a participant in the Youth Easter:

It is a beautiful form of inner renewal and a great help in preparing for Easter, it helps us to look inside ourselves and accompany Jesus Christ on this date and understand his love for us, it teaches us to follow his path and to look at others as our equals, to love ourselves as he loved us.

For me it was a very good experience, this is the second time I have participated and I always come back with a full heart and with new learnings. All of us who participated shared very intense and moving moments, there is a great spirit of mutual help and we really feel like a family, everyone participates, everyone contributes. I feel fulfilled because I get to meet new people, share many good moments, build new friendships and deepen my faith.

This experience allows me to be a better person, with all the shared and lived moments I feel that God is with us, that Christ is with us and loves us, I would like to give more of myself to Him and to others, I am very grateful!