by
Gabriel Marocchi and Macho Cordero
Photo Credit
Emily Leon Rodriguez
Macho Cordero
Eddie Ortiz
http://thetablet.org/caminata-jornadistas-display-faith-on-the-streets-of-manhattan/
Year after year , this Diocesan newspaper published on the Diocesan JORNDISTAS MARCH , and many will wonder What are Jornadistas March?
Walking is an act of faith and sacrifice and not a youth exhibition and this year 2014 and since 1987 the "Caminata Jornadista" is one of the longest public youth outdoors Via Crucis.
Inspired by Rudy Vargas IV who saw a new way to evangelize and also to unite not only groups but also the Parish Jornadista groups.
"There is nothing more beautiful than to see young people without fear, walk the streets and sometimes a little dangerous neighborhoods taking the Gospel " .
But here is not only walking, at least 1-2 months before the Team Leaders and Spiritual Directors meet to determine what the years slogan will be and also which can be route or neighborhood to choose.
The beauty is the union that grows among the young as working together and spend their time in creating the banner which using the phrase chosen by the leaders of the conference put it into practice.
This year Jornadistas, young at age and spirit , started their walk at the Parish Mother Cabrini Shrine , located in Upper Manhattan.
The walk began at 8:00 am with a prayer in which the Jornadistas offered as a sacrifice to walk for the love of their neighbor, about 400 Jornadistas who gathered to share, live and profess their love in Christ spiritually walked about 8 Parishes among them we can mention Incarnation and Good Shepard culminating their Spiritual procession in the Church of Santa Rosa of Lima.
This year the Walk slogan was "The Lord will fight for you , without you having to worry about anything, Revolution . Exodus 14:14 "
This Bible story closely resembles the essence of the walk done by the Jorndistas , young people know and live the reality that God is the center of their lives, and that this God we proclaim is true to his promise , and it is He who guides them in their daily walk , becoming aware of the sacrifices that Christ spent in his Calvary for our salvation .
It is very important to mention the presence of a priest that since 25 years ago continues to inspire young people to walk and evangelize with his example and that is this priest is Monsignor Perfecto Vazquez , Spiritual Director of the Cursillo Movement , which walked with the youth while praying , singing and encouraged the audience with his inspiring presence as there is no age or profession to follow Christ and be a witnesses of his love.
The past March, or Caminata as the Jornadistas called it that took place on April 19th marked 21 years since the first time the Jornadistas walked in Manhattan, in 1991 the first walk that was held in Manhattan was at St Emeric and despite the snow that did not scared the Jornadistas, as it was indicated by Father Victor Dallo , cm former Director of the Jornadistas, "THE JORNADISTA COMMUNITY WAS PRESENT MORE tHAN EVER " , and still is despite of bein more than 47 years since their first Jornada took place and 25 from the first Jornadista March(Caminata) of the Diocese of Brooklyn , Queens and Manhattan the youth remain an example of dedication, sacrifice and love of their neighbor always knowing that they are not walking alone, because Christ and the Blessed Virgin who walks not only with us but also within each of our hearts.
