Kehilla youth in Pozzuoli

The seventeen young people from the Desert Flower youth group of the Hebrew speaking Catholic communities in Israel, ranging in age from 14 to 26, representing all the Hebrew speaking Catholic communities, were accompanied on the first step of their pilgrimage by Father David (who stayed with them only three days), Father Apolinary, Brother Alberto and Benny. They flew out of Ben Gurion Airport on Wednesday, August 7, destination Rome.

From Rome, the group made its way by train to the city of Pozzuoli. This city is mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles as the port in which Saint Paul disembarked when he arrived in Italy. “Then we weighed anchor and came to Rhegium. After one day there a south wind sprang up, and on the second day we came to Puteoli. There we found believers and were invited to stay with them for seven days. And so we came to Rome” (Act 28:13-14). Paul’s first station in Italy was also the first station of the group of Hebrew speaking Catholic youth.

The group was welcomed late at night by its host, Don Mario, parish priest of the Sacred Heart parish in Pozzuoli and a benefactor of the Vicariate, together with young people from his parish. Don Mario had known Benny before Benny went to live in Israel. The next five days were to be spent in the company of these enthusiastic new friends. Don Mario had just returned from the World Youth Day in Brazil and his joy at receiving the group was evident at every step. The group was hosted in the parish for a very late dinner, served by devoted women from the parish and after midnight the young people divided up into groups of two and were hosted by families in the parish.

The warmth of the reception was particularly noteworthy in the light of the fact that the diocese had just lived through a terrible tragedy. 39 people had been recently killed in a bus accident, the latest victim having succumbed to her wounds the day the group arrived.

The following day, Thursday, August 8, the group visited Pozzuoli, a beautiful city on the sea. Particularly noteworthy was the time spent at the port where Saint Paul arrived and retracing his footsteps in the city. After a walking tour in sweltering heat, the group celebrated mass in the bishop’s chapel in Hebrew. Then, the group was hosted at the parish for lunch with the bishop of the diocese, Mgr. Gennaro Pascarella and the mayor. That afternoon, the group paid a visit to Bagnoli, a suburb of Naples, a few minutes away, the birthplace of Benny, seminarian for the Vicariate. Benny’s family was delighted to receive the group in their small fifth floor apartment.

The following day, Friday, August 9, the day began with mass celebrated by the Bishop in the sanctuary of Saint Gennaro, a local martyr, killed by the Romans. The Bishop dedicated his sermon to a modern martyr, whose feast it was, Saint Edith Stein (Teresa Benedicta of the Cross). Following the mass, the group visited the volcano next to Pozzuoli and the ancient Roman amphitheater and was invited to lunch in a neighboring parish, Saint Vincent Ferrer.

After a short siesta, the group went to visit Naples, the neighboring city, with its rich history and many churches. Caught in a tempest, the group arrived a little late for the Shabbat dinner in the parish with many of the young people and their families. The group from Israel shared with their Italian friends some of the jewels of Shabbat, its songs and spirituality. After dinner, a number of the Israeli young people briefly presented themselves, reflecting the diversity and the uniqueness of the Hebrew speaking Catholics in Israel.

The first days of the pilgrimage were spent in joy and excitement in preparation for the trip to Rome. Thank you Don Mario and all your young people!