The following post was submitted by Carlos Ferreira, a new addition to the S+L team. Coming from Europe to join to the Salt + Light team, more specifically from Portugal, is an experience of faith. After a big event like WYD Madrid – where I worked for the organizing committee’s communications department – I came ...read more

After the WYD “high,” how do you continue to nourish the seeds of faith that were planted? That’s the question Pedro asks this week on Perspectives: The Weekly Edition. Joining him for the discussion is Neiman D’Souza, a seminarian for the Archdiocese of Toronto, and Jonathan Nix, coordinator of Youth Ministry at St. Bonaventure parish ...read more

About a month has passed since World Youth Day ended and I’ve had the chance to talk to pilgrims from various places. The one thing that inevitably comes up is the Cuatro Vientos vigil. The two most asked questions: (1) Did you make it in? and (2) Did you get drenched? So when I received ...read more

All of us at Salt + Light had a great start to our work week. An important sheep has returned to the family fold! Alicia Ambrosio has returned to S+L’s headquarters in Toronto. For the last year and a half, Ambrosio served as S+L’s first Vatican correspondent in Rome. In total, she spent seven months ...read more

I returned home from World Youth Day in Madrid, Spain almost two weeks ago — honestly, one of the most incredible trips of my life. There are no words to express how I feel. I still find myself wrapped with plenty of emotion and with a ton of WYD withdrawal. That’s to be expected with any sort of trip, ...read more

Last Tuesday, we kicked-off our WYD experience with the gathering for Canadian pilgrims – a first in WYD history and a wonderful way to begin our week. Yesterday, the feast of St. Rose of Lima, I had the chance to end my WYD experience with another national gathering – this one for Panamanian pilgrims that ...read more

The following post was contributed by Stefanie Romano, a team leader from the Archdiocese of Toronto Office of Catholic Youth. The OCY Toronto pilgrims visited Rome before heading to World Youth Day in Madrid. I am amazed at how active the spirit has been. Praise be to Jesus for carrying us through this miraculous day. ...read more

The following post was contributed by Stefanie Romano, a team leader from the Archdiocese of Toronto Office of Catholic Youth. The OCY Toronto group traveled to Madrid, Spain for World Youth Day. At my previous international WYD in Sydney, I visited a sheep-shearing station in the countryside. It was an odd day-trip, but Australia is ...read more

After thanking WYD volunteers, Benedict XVI left immediately for Madrid’s Barajas airport. In the presence of Spain’s King and Queen, he thanked the Spanish authorities and assured the country of his prayers. He specifically mentioned his concern for those suffering from the high rate of unemployment in Spain. The Holy Father called Spain “a great ...read more

Today is the Pope’s last day in Madrid, but he wasn’t going to leave without expressing a personal thank you. Before heading to the airport, the Holy Father met with World Youth Day volunteers at the IFEMA Fairgrounds. In his address to volunteers, he said that their work and prayer was like “weav[ing], stitch by ...read more