Viatorians around the world remain committed to the faith development of young people. That was evident in January, when Fr. Claudio Rios, CSV, accompanied a group to World Youth Day in Panama City.
His delegation from Chile was among a crowd of hundreds of thousands of young people from 155 countries who attended the 16th annual World Youth day, as well as the presidents of Panama, Costa Rica, Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Portugal, who attended the closing Mass celebrated by Pope Francis.
In his homily, Pope Francis told them that Jesus was inviting each one present to join him in his “mission” today, not tomorrow.
“Dear young people,” he urged them, “you are not the future but the now of God, and he invites you and calls you in your communities and cities to go out and find your grandparents and elders; to stand up and with them to speak out and realize the dream that the Lord has dreamed for you.”
The trip was a pilgrimage for Fr. Rios and his young people, and a step outside of his day job, working in parish ministry and heading up Viatorian vocations for the Foundation of Chile. He also serves on the General Direction, as one of four councilors to Fr. Mick Egan, CSV, Superior General.