The guest of another WYD with Bosco program was Zita Siopa, who participated in the 1987 World Youth Day, which took place in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Responding to an invitation made by the Daughters of Mary Help (???) of Christians, Zita, without knowing the language and never having traveled outside the country, he joined a group of former Italian Salesian students and left for Argentina to live this great moment of faith. “The Day gave me the confidence and awareness that we are not alone,” Zita says.
In an “unexpected” moment, but at the same time “unforgettable”, the Portuguese received, from the hands of Pope John Paul II, the Cross of Europe, an episode that was forever engraved in her memory. “I felt great gratitude,” he concludes.
For Zita Siopa, Pope John Paul II had a great ability to realize that if young people were to be “everything would work”, so, in his opinion being able to participate in a World Youth Day is undoubtedly “a huge good”.
Believing that World Youth Day Lisbon 2023 will touch “every young person who will be there”, Zita says it is a blessing to receive this celebration of youth in our country. “It is wonderful to think that Portugal has the opportunity to organize the Day and to receive all these young people,” he stresses.
At the moment, and as he points out, the most important thing is to be able to “keep the will and interest of young people to participate”.
