On July 26, on the feast of St. James, patron of the Archdiocese of Tunja, the ministerial campus of Colegio San Viator and the vocation office of the Colombia Foundation organized a youth gathering for the third consecutive year. They called this year’s event “Fly High, Dream Big”, a phrase inspired by the visit of Pope Francis to Colombia in September 2017.
Fr. Fredy Contreras addresses the students.
The Viatorians hosted the gathering with the invaluable help of the Montfort Missionaries, the Dominican Friars, the Franciscan Sisters of Mary Immaculate, the Pauline Sisters, the Daughters of the Church and the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul.
This event took place in the main auditorium of the Santo Tomas University of Tunja, which belongs to the Order of Preachers. This youth rally drew 580 young people from 13 schools in Tunja and nearby towns, including students from Colegio San Viator. That night, another 300 people gathered at the Colegio San Viator to listen to the testimony of the event’s main speaker, Sr. Gloria Cecilia Narvaez.
Sr. Gloria Cecilia Narváez shares her story.
Fr. Fredy Contreras, CSV, Rector of the Colegio, invited participants to fight for their dreams and not to give up in the face of difficulties. Sr. Gloria Cecilia Narvaez is a Colombian nun and member of the Franciscan of Mary Immaculate religious community. She was kidnapped in the West African nation of Mali by members of the Taliban for about five years. In her testimony she described her courage, fidelity to her vocation and service to her neighbor in the midst of being deprived of her freedom. Ultimately, she encouraged the young people to be free and follow the voice of God.
(L-R) Fr. Pedro Herrera, Br. Juan Carlos Ubaque, Br. Luis Pedroza, Sr. Gloria Cecilia Narváez, Br. Juan Carlos Ramirez and Fr. Fredy Contreras
The youth meeting concluded in a powerful way, with the exposition and prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, carried in by Br. Juan Carlos.
As Director of the Viatorian vocation office, Br. Juan Carlos thanked the community of Tunja for their help and their commitment to the cultivation of vocations.