For the fifth year, the Diocese of Peterborough held its youth festival, SONfest.  There was some concern that the Eucharistic Congress in Quebec and the World Youth Day (WYD) events in Sydney, which took place this spring and summer, respectively, might overshadow SONfest. However, SONfest '08 with about 260 people in attendance was a great success thanks to the support provided by St. Mary's in Lindsay (the host parish), the many volunteers who were involved and the many prayers which were offered.

Starting with the candle-lit procession from St. Mary's parish to St. Thomas Aquinas Secondary School and ending with Mass celebrated by the Bishop, the weekend was packed with prayer, games, lectures, discussions, and delicious food!  Keynote speaker Joe Farris both entertained and inspired critical reflection, while music provided by Chris Bray enriched the experience. 

The featured presentation, Pedal to the Pope, at which time Brendan Quigley and Frank Callaghan shared their faith-filled cycling adventure across Australia prior to WYD, was just one example of how SONfest was the summation of the varied and diverse pilgrimage experiences that began with the Great Novena last August. We, further, extended well-wishes to the four “discerning gentlemen” as they headed off to the seminary this fall, who bring the total number of seminarians for our Diocese to eight.

In my opinion, the richness of this event was unparalleled!  I would like to personally thank all the volunteers who were involved for their tremendous efforts in making this such a success.

Valentina Kuper

Dear young people,

I wish to thank you for coming in such a large number considering that many of you have had a very busy summer with trips to Quebec City and Australia for World Youth Day in Sydney.

I wish to congratulate you for choosing to take some time out from the last days of summer and get together for a couple of days in order to reflect on the many challenges the Church and society are facing today and in order to see what could be the role the Holy Father and the whole Church want you to play.

I salute and congratulate Frank and Brendan on their tremendous accomplishment ‘pedaling to the Pope’ across Australia, a distance of 4300 km. No wonder: I taught them how to ride their bikes and how to fix their flat tires just before they left for Australia when they came to me for a blessing. I also recommended them to bring with them spare tires, but they did not…

Just a few weeks ago at WYD 08 in Australia, Pope Benedict XVI invited you to be “witnesses to the Gospel and builders of peace…” “This, dear young people,” he said, “is the duty I consign to you today: be disciples of and witnesses to the Gospel, because the Gospel is the good seed of the Kingdom of God and the civilization of love... Be witnesses of Christ to the ends of the earth… Forge the future …The Holy Spirit will dispel fears and uncertainties, and will draw you into unity.”

Looking at some other addresses the Holy Father gave in Australia, we can see that he challenged you with firm hope and expectation. He asked you to “transform your lives by accepting the Holy Spirit...” “Dear Young people,” he said, “the Lord is asking you to be prophets of this new age, messengers of His love, drawing people to the Father and building a future of hope for all humanity…The world,” he added, “needs this renewal! In so many of our societies side-by-side with material prosperity a spiritual desert is spreading: an interior emptiness, an unnamed fear, a quiet sense of despair. How many people have failed in a desperate search for meaning, the ultimate meaning that only love can give?”

Talking to the youth of the world, the Holy Father at times uses strong words. In one of his speeches he said: “Dear young people, in Jesus’ name I repeat to you: Go! Live! Love! In God’s eyes each of you is important. You are important to your family and friends …to your country, to the entire world, to the Church and to Jesus Christ.”

During the many speeches of the World Youth Day in Australia, the Holy Father exhorted you not to feel marginalized, “because no life is unimportant, you must realize that you are important protagonists, because you are at the center of God’s love.”

In another speech the Holy Father addressed the youth with these words: “Do not be afraid, Christ can fulfill the most intimate aspirations of your heart! ...Each one of you, if you remain united to Christ, can achieve great things. … You should not be afraid to dream of great plans for goodness, and you should not let yourselves be discouraged by difficulties. Dream big: small dreams have no power to move man’s hearts and to change the world. Christ has confidence in you and wants you to realize all your most noble and exalted dreams for true happiness. …Be certain that a life dedicated to God is never spent in vain.”

In Manila (1995) Pope John Paul II told you: “I am sending you into the world to proclaim the message of love to everyone, with a voice loud and clear… to search the world for those who have walked astray and lead them home.”

Having attended WYD in Denver (1993) and heard the pope’s speeches, one young person remarked: “Since I heard the Pope in Denver I am not ashamed anymore of my faith…”

In Paris (1997) the Holy Father told you: “Go into the world to build a society of love.”

The common trend that I see in all the speeches of John Paul II and Benedict XVI to the youth of the world is in the imperative of the verb “to go” – ‘ire’ in Latin – I AM SENDING YOU – GO INTO THE WORLD…So: Jesus is looking for young people to be sent…Where? To do what?

Dear young people, in order to be sent, you need to be qualified “to go”. Here are some of these qualities:

Dear Young people, I know almost all of you by now. You all have the qualities that I have described above to respond “yes” to the Holy Father who is sending you and who is reminding you that Jesus needs you to “renew” today’s society. Jesus is your true friend and Lord. Enter into a relationship of true friendship with Him! He is expecting you and in Him alone will you find true happiness. Do you know what you have to do? Follow Him! Belong to his team. Be a crewmember with Him! He is calling you and choosing you!

About three years ago, during the visit to Cologne, Germany, His Holiness Benedict XVI warned young people against the false attractions of this world. He said: “How easy it is to be content with the superficial pleasures that daily life offers us; how easy it is to live only for oneself, apparently enjoying life! But sooner or later you realize that this is not true happiness, because true happiness is much deeper: You find it only in Jesus.” On August 18, 2005 in Cologne he continued: “The happiness you are seeking, the happiness you have a right to enjoy, has a name and a face: it is the name and face of Jesus of Nazareth.”

Dear friends, don’t forget what John Paul II said to young people in Denver: “The Church Belongs to you”. Be proud of your Faith; the Church is proud of you.