Pilgrim Profile: Karen Roveto

Karen Roveto - WYD '11, Madrid
I am very excited for the opportunity to be a part of World Youth Day in Spain in August of 2011. This will be my first time having this kind of an experience and I am very much looking forward to sharing it with my family members and friends, as well as other members of the parish. This will be a great opportunity to meet other people from all over the world as well and I believe that it is going to be a very rewarding experience, for which I am extremely grateful.

Pilgrim Profile: Steve Roveto

Steve Roveto - WYD’ 11, Madrid
Hi, I am Steve Roveto and I never realized how important a Catholic education was to me until college. I had attended Catholic school from kindergarten until 12th grade and now attend a private interfaith college.
It is not the easiest to find people that share the same beliefs as you, which was quite simple up until high school. I didn't think I'd ever say it, but I actually miss it. The uniform, the people, everything about it, its all completely different at college. They offer services, but it is held in a classroom and it is just weird. When I heard about WYD in Spain I knew this would be a way for me to experience this again. That is why I want to make this pilgrimage to Spain, so that I can get in touch with other people around my age that have the same faith and beliefs that I hold.

Pilgrim Profiles: Thomas Dougherty

Tom Dougherty - WYD '11, Madrid
My name is Thomas Dougherty, and I am a senior who will be graduating from Chaminade High School. In August I will be traveling with my parish to Madrid, Spain for World Youth Day. I am looking forward to attending and have been since last World Youth Day in Australia. Since I did not attend that World Youth Day, I feel that now is my opportunity to see what I missed last time. I am excited to see how many people from all over the world are gathered in the same place for the same reason: to get to God and grow in our faith.

Pilgrim Profile: Theresa Roedig

Theresa Roedig - WYD '11, Madrid
My name is Theresa Roedig and I am a sophomore at Molloy College and from Saint Kilian Parish in Farmingdale. I am thrilled to be going to World Youth Day in Madrid with the parishioners of Our Lady of Mercy. I am excited that I will have the chance to meet and be surrounded by young people from all over the world who share one common interest: their love of and faith in God. The theme of this year’s WYD is “Rooted and built up in Jesus Christ, firm in the faith”. I believe that this pilgrimage will help strengthen my faith in Christ, along with the thousands of other Christians there. I am so grateful for this wonderful opportunity.