Meet our Prince of Peace Parish World Youth Day Pilgrims
The following youth will be traveling to Madrid, Spain to join more than 1 million other young people from all over the world to meet Pope Benedict XVI. Please pray for them.
Hi! My name is Nicole Drake. I graduated from St. Dominic's RHS in 2010. Come this fall, I will be shipping out into the Navy. However, right now, I am most excited to be leaving for World Youth Day this week. I am looking forward to it because I know it will be a unique experience that I can learn from. There will be about two million people there from around the world, which means to me many different cultures I can interact with plus the culture of Spain the host country. I am excited for the spiritual side of the pilgrimage as well. I am looking for the experience to strengthen who I am today. When I come back, I hope to have many stories to tell and also share the light of God that I will experience with those I interact with.
My name is Brittany Bazinet. I want to go to World Youth Day in Spain because it will be an entirely new experience for me. I have never left the continent before, I have never been in the same city as the Pope before, I've never hiked six miles before, and I've never taken a plane anywhere. I like singing and baking and I have a penchant for odd hats and funky earrings which I crochet. I'm excited to see what happens in Spain, especially since all I can say in Spanish is Good Morning, Good Night, I Love You, and Library. I had never heard of World Youth Day before November of last year. It still really hasn't sunken in that I'm going to another country. It probably won't become real to me until I'm in the airport . . . in England.
My name is Lauren Cronin and I have been a part of Prince of Peace Parish for three years. I am so ecstatic to have the opportunity to go to Spain for WYD. I think it will strengthen my faith even more, and provide me a better understanding of the world around me. This is the experience of a lifetime, and I am very blessed to be going with my youth group, who is like a second family! I hope to be introduced to a new face of God during this trip so I can get to know Him more deeply.
My name is Stephanie Gagne and I am a junior at Rivier College. I have been involved in youth ministry since 8th grade, and I was a member of the Maine Diocesan Counsel for Catholic Youth (MDCCY) from 2006-2009. I heard about World Youth Day from some friends of mine who had traveled to Australia and I couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to stand among 2 million Catholics, not to mention the Pope! When the opportunity arose to journey to Spain this year, my whole family jumped on the chance of a lifetime. I am excited about so many things: exploring a new country, the pilgrimage, learning more about my faith, gaining a deeper relationship with God, spending time with my family, and meeting complete strangers who share my values. I hope to bring back a stronger faith enriched by the understanding of how large and strong my Catholic family is.
My name is Scott Gagne and I will be a freshman at the University of Southern Maine in Gorham. I’ve been involved in the church for my whole life and I’m so happy to be going to Spain with my family. I’m looking forward to gaining experience and knowledge in my Catholic faith. Meeting people and enjoying the time we have with fellow Catholics is going to be a very memorable experience and I hope to get out of this trip a stronger faith and an amazing memory of an awesome time!Other youth joining us are Rich Lamarre, who will be a sophomore this fall at Ave Maria University in Southwest Florida, and Christian Labonte, who will be a Senior this fall at Lewiston High School.
