Every student should explore the world that surrounds them in a different light. Take a look around campus and take in the beauty it provides. Two students explained how Cabrini College had many religious opportunities to better themselves at World Youth Day.
Cathy Matta and Breanna Tumelty took an experience that changed both their young lives forever in a spiritual aspect.
Also, it allowed both of them to grow as peopleinside and out. World Youth Day was an adventure in their lives that they will never forget.
“The experience was a combination of time to learn about Mother Cabrini and to better my faith,” Cathy Matta, junior, mathematics and English major, said.
World Youth Day is a great worldwide encounter with the Pope, which is celebrated every three years in a different country. Recently, this event took place in Madrid, Spain from Aug. 6-11.
Matta was involved in the campus ministry program here on campus and was recommended by her professors to have the opportunity to attend this worldwide event because of her active work and dedication to campus missionary.
She stayed for 11 days. Her group had a conference for four to five days. While at the conference she was able to meet Cabrini students from countries all over the world, including Brazil and Argentina. She was able enjoy two days to travel around Madrid as well.
“It was empowering to see so many different types of people who were so excited to share their experiences with their faith and so easily open to talk about it,” Matta said. She wasn’t so sure what she was going to expect when entering this experience, but she was excited.
“I loved meeting a bunch of people from Cabrini’s family from all over the world,” Matta said.
Matta expressed a positive attitude about her experience and conveyed how important it is for Cabrini students to think about how important a spiritual attitude can be.
“Everyone came together for the same purpose: to discuss Mother Cabrini and the impacts they have faced with their faith to help them overcome it,” Matta said. Talking to new people and being in a different country was an experience that was something that she thought would never happen.
“Everyone was equal on the trip. It didn’t matter if you were Catholic or not and everyone spoke in a different language, but all had similar morals about their faith and the way we viewed life,” Matta said.
Matta was able to meet a lot of different people while being in Madrid. “I still keep in contact with people from Argentina by using Facebook and Skyping with them,” Matta said.
“I was able to have a cultural experience with the people I met, develop strong relationships and have strong bonds with people I could depend on,” Matta said. They were no different than people she already knew back home at college.
“My favorite part about the whole experience was getting a sense of being involved in the idea of the universal church,” Matta said. Meeting people from all different types of cultures, languages and nationalities allowed her to open her heart to new people and experience a sense of faith in a different light.
She got to escape from her own reality and step into a new one. Matta was able to see a new country and experience one of the endless opportunities that Cabrini offers to students.
“Living a moral, happy and religious life is what I strive to do and attending this experience opened my eyes to new experiences that I will never forget,” Matta said.
