Before presiding over the Stations of the Cross at WYD in Lisbon, Pope Francis spent some time greeting the more than half a million young people waiting for him. One of them was Agustín Paz, a young Argentinean who gave the Pope a very special picture and a cup of mate.
AGUSTÍN PAZ NAÓN
Argentinean Pilgrim at WYD
The first thing he said to me when I gave him the mate was: "Hey, the guards almost caught you." And I told him: "Yes, but you let me get through. That'll be a good story for me." Then I gave him my mother's prayer card.
Afterwards, he told me: "Thank you very much for the mate. It was very good.'' I told him it was my mother's recipe from 20 years ago.
My mom took her children to see the pope and, now, at the WYD, I took my mom to him.
Agustín's mother, María Rosario Naón, met the Pope a few years ago and spoke to him about her children. Last September, she died of cancer and people consider her a saint. And in every moment during his trip to Lisbon, Agustín found his mother.
AGUSTÍN PAZ NAÓN
Argentinean Pilgrim at WYD
She really wanted me to go. She really liked the story of Mary visiting Elizabeth and when that was announced as the theme of WYD, I really wanted to go. And I was able to go in the end.
I went because of her. So, every little thing that happened, every Mass, every adoration, just being there, it was like I was remembering her all the time.
In several of his speeches, Pope Francis referred to Mary's visitation to her cousin St. Elizabeth.
POPE FRANCIS
The service that the Virgin Mary did, who "arose and departed without delay" to serve her cousin Elizabeth, feeling the urgency to share joy through service. Sharing joy and service; joy in service.
And that is exactly what Agustín's mother did—she served others. She wanted to build a school in a poor neighborhood of Argentina. Her family is now carrying out this project in her honor.
CA/SA
TR: KG
