Home / News & Publications / Michigan Catholic News / 2008 / Experience in Ohio 'will never fade from my heart'
Experience in Ohio 'will never fade from my heart'
by Matt Heminger special to The Michigan Catholic
Published July 25, 2008
How did World Youth Day impact my life?
I've never been to a Word Youth Day before. I've been on retreats and went to Rainbow, but WYD was unlike all the other things I've experienced.
It's a wonderful thing to be able to be a part of hundreds of Jesus freaks singing praise to the Lord, and to se the variety of people that are called to follow Him. I saw everything from jugglers to drummers, people from all of Michigan and Ohio.
To see so many people come together to worship Christ is something that will never fade from my heart.
Neither will any of the amazing people I met there. I met a juggler and he was one of the speakers. I feel blessed to have met him. He talked about the Holy Spirit and how He speaks to you like when you get that random idea that might seem weird or silly at the time and how the Holy Spirit might use something as random as a coffee filter as a medium.
Later on in the evening, after a late-night prayer with the bishop, as hundreds of people flocked to the football field to sleep under the stars, I knew that the Holy Spirit was speaking to some of them. Laying down under the stars surrounded by people just as in love with Christ as I am was all I needed to become stronger in my faith and realize how much you can do when there are so many other people who spread the word and love of Jesus.
The next day was sad because I had to leave behind so many new friends and that great feeling you get when you're surrounded by so many people devoted to their faith. But it was also a great feeling knowing that each and every one of them was going to leave and go home to spread the great news of God's love.
Matt Heminger, 17, is a parishioner at St. Mary Parish in St. Clair.
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