Every year in Pamplona, a day of coexistence between benefactors and friends of the CARF Foundation and seminarians is held. The event is an opportunity to meet the boys who are being trained in the Ecclesiastical Faculties of the University of Navarra and who reside in the Bidasoa International Seminary, where they also receive an integral formation to reach the priesthood.
"Shocked and excited", Mayte and María José attended for the first time this special event in the calendar of the CARF Foundation. In addition, this year also marked the 50th anniversary of the Torreciudad sanctuary.
The event was held on May 23 and 24. This year also marked a very significant date: the 50th anniversary of the construction of the new sanctuary of Torreciudad. On Friday the group visited the Ecclesiastical Faculties of the University of Navarre, the Bidasoa international seminar and on Saturday, he visited the Shrine of Our Lady of the Angels of Torreciudad.
Mayte and María José return excited from the trip. The joy of the seminarians, seeing so many young people from different countries of the world and participating in the Solemn Mass that was "as if you were between Earth and Heaven", both agree that it has overwhelmed them.
"The participation of the boys' choir during Holy Mass is an indescribable moment. I have never seen anything like it. It is a group of young people, but it gives the impression that they sing with one voice. The piety they transmit, the recollection, every detail of the Eucharist leads to the Love of God," explain these two benefactors.
From Torreciudad They were very pleased with the exhibition on the "Experience of Faith", which traces the faith of the Jewish people up to the present day. "It has been a wonderful two days," they said. The group, already smaller than that of the day in Pamplona, was received by Mr. Ángel Lasheras at the Tourist Office. After the welcome, they participated in the Holy Mass in the central nave of the sanctuary and took the opportunity to pray for a while in front of the image of the living Christ in the chapel of the Blessed Sacrament.
After touring the gallery of the images of the Virgin, more than 600 invocations from all over the world are present, the pilgrims took the opportunity to visit different chapels and participate in the impressive video-mapping The altarpiece tells you why Torreciudad through a show of music, light and sound.
Carmen Ortega is co-president of the Social Action Board (PAS) of the CARF Foundation. Every year they deliver a backpack with sacred vessels and liturgical elements to each graduating seminarian so that they can worthily celebrate the sacraments in any corner of the world, lost villages or forgotten towns in rural areas.
"The delivery of backpacks is exciting because after all the year preparing them, and what we pray for them, to give them this gift is touching.", explains.
Carmen went on this pilgrimage with Cristina, a PAS collaborator who was going for the first time: "She was enthusiastic and said she was going to encourage all the PAS ladies to participate in this trip every year. She has said that she will not miss any of them".
Pilar is another benefactor of the CARF Foundation. She explains that, at the Ecclesiastical Faculties of the University of Navarra, there was a very affectionate reception, where the Dean of the Faculty of Canon Law, Mr. Joaquín Sedano, dedicated a few words of thanks for all that has been organized thanks to the CARF Foundation and the benefactors of Bidasoa and the university.
He explained, as an example of the richness of the training they receive, the international congress on the figure of Benedict XVI, co-funded by the Ratzinger Foundationcourses and programs in psychology and spiritual life, creation care, matrimonial and procedural law, etc.
Then Rafael Navarrete, from the Alumni Admissions department, introduced two students: Hung Vicente Nguyen, a seminarian from Vietnam, and Erik Linares, a priest from El Salvador.They told their testimony, which was very moving, "showing that each seminarian is a living hope for the Church and the world," says Pilar.
The seminarian from Vietnam explained that the first year he landed in Bidasoa, he spent that entire course without knowing Spanish, but thanks to the help of his formators and other seminarians, he was able to understand most of the explanations.
Hung Vicente, who has obtained his degree in Canon Law (5 years) and will become a deacon and then a priest, expressed his gratitude to the benefactors of the CARF Foundation. He also said that his bishop visited the University of Navarra and told him that there were a good fraternal environment for the formation of future priests. In fact, they will send two new students from their diocese next year. There are 110 seminarians in his diocese and a total of more than 3,000 in his country.
He then participated Erik Linares, from El Salvadorwho studied 4 years in Bidasoa and later worked as secretary to the bishop of his diocese in El Salvador. And now he studies Biblical Theology and helps in some parishes in the area.
Upon completion, Álvaro GarridoLuis Alberto Rosales, Director of Communications and Marketing of the CARF Foundation, who spoke in the absence of General Director Luis Alberto Rosales, explained the three founding purposes of the institution: to pray for vocations and for seminarians and priests; to spread its good name throughout the world; and to promote their integral formation at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome and at the Ecclesiastical Faculties of the University of Navarra, in Pamplona.
"When you spend a day with the seminarians of Bidasoa, you realize the importance of praying for priests and seminarians, and know that to support such a vocation is to sow eternity," says Pilar.
Lunch was followed by a small show of dances and music by the seminarians from different countries and the presentation of the backpacks of sacred vessels so lovingly prepared by the PAS.
Marta Santínjournalist specializing in religion.
