Many of us have watched spell bound as our Pope Francis has visited Brazil.

Last January we received an urgent plea from one of our members in that huge country.

"There is a brother, his name is Felipe Passos, he is from the CCR Youth Ministry in Brazil, he is responsible for collecting all the sum of fundraising money for those in his diocese who just don't have money to go to the WYD, I mean in terms of staying in Rio and paying all the stuff related to it, and the thing is, he was shot by a thief who knew he was collecting this money, according to the police from his city the thief was looking for this money and tried to kill him, he is with a bullet on his neck and he is in the Unit Care, oh and tomorrow is his birthday, now imagine how his parents are....
His picture on Facebook is in a Retreat with a priest holding the Monstrance with Jesus in the Eucharist on this boy's face and this priest is prayin for him, when I saw that picture and which is in the same post where prayer is being requested to him, I said
"Oh Jesus, this boy serves you, this boy is collecting money and helping with money those who intend to meet You during the WYD, oh Jesus, perform a miracle, please!""
This is his facebook Page

In May we got this report:

"Do you remember Felipe Passos?
That young man who was with a picture with his face on the Monstrance?
He was in the Unit Care, remember ?
He almost died, because he was with a bullet on his neck and already considered as quadriplegic, remember it?
So, GOD IS SOOO GOOD THAT HE IS WELL!
I saw some pictures from him, on his Facebook, in a Charismatic Mass with the priests holding their hands and praying for him a prayer of thanksgiving!
He is still on a wheelchair but he can move his upper means, he can talk, and honestly, the pic that most made me emotional was he laying hands on his brother ( real brother, blood kin brother), praying for him, like, as a GOOD CHARISMATIC GUY, HE STILL LAYS HANDS AND PRAY!
I almost cried when I saw that picture!

But, wow, God is an amazing God and thank you guys for placing him in your prayers!"

Then during the Pope's visit to World Youth Day we had a further report:

Dear family
Do you remember Felipe Passos?
That young man of 23 years old who had received a gun shot? That a bullet was on his neck and God allowed him to relive!
So he gave his testimony to the Pope today!
I could meet him on Facebook and I told that you guys prayed for him and then, this time, at the testimony he said that " people all around the world prayed for him"
Consider yourselves as part of this testimony of prayer!
By the way, he gave a so beautiful testimony, he told about his Personal Experience with the Holy Spirit and not only, he asked ALL THE YOUTH AT THE BEACH (MORE THAN THREE MILLION), and he held a prayer moment where he asked them to raise up the crosses they received as Pilgrims and he asked them to proclaim that Jesus died for them on a Cross and that Cross was this symbol, but as well as that Cross wasn't with Jesus on it, he invited the youth to proclaim that Jesus has already given all that youth the grace of THE VICTORY OF HIS CROSS!!!
And he said that as well as for him, the wheelchair is his cross now, he invited the youth to offer God their personal crosses by looking at that cross they received, that crucifix they received. HE EVEN TOLD THE ARCHBISHOPS, BISHOPS to do the same and incredibly THEY DID!
EVEN POPE FRANCIS FOLLOWED THE PRAYER IN ONE HEART! IN TOTAL UNITY!!!!!
That was aaaaaaaamaaaazing!
HE EVEN ASKED THE FIRE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT TO BURN THE WHOLE YOUTH, HE ASKED
THE POPE TO BLESS THEM AND TO CONSECRATE THAT YOUTH TO THE PERSON OF THE HOLY SPIRIT!!!!!!
He did it and ask it by the intercession of Our Lady and by the intercession of the Blessed Helena Guerra!
Guys! IT was sooo beautiful! You had to see the courage of that YOUNG CHARISMATIC BOY to hold a SO ANOINTING MOMENT OF PRAYER with the THREE MILLION YOUNG PEOPLE with him! He did ask the Holy Spirit to burn all the youth of the world!!!!!!!!!!!!!
IT IS A MOMENT I WILL REMEMBER FOR EVER! AND AFTER MOMENTS LIKE THIS, I SHOUT TO GOD
"THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALLOWING THIS YOUNG PERSON TO BE BAAAAPPPPPTIIIIIISSSEEDD IN THE HOOOOOLY SPIRIT AND TO MAKE HIM ASK THIS BATISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, THIS BURNING OF THE SPIRIT FOR THE YOUTH IN ALLLL OVER THE WORLD!"
that's a testimony I had to tell you guys! :-)
Detail : Felipe told that, when he received the bullet on his neck, the doctors told his parents " We're sorry, but it is IMPOSSIBLE for this boy to survive" and guess what his mother said?
She said " DOCTOR, I BELIEVE IN GOD! " And this God we came to meet, THIS GOD NOT ONLY KEPT THE LIFE OF THIS BOY
OD HE ALLOWED THIS BOY TO HOLD A PRAYER OF BAPTISM IN THE SPIRIT, AS HE SAID A PRAYER OF " BURNING IN THE SPIRIT" FOR AAAAAAAAALLLL THE YOUTH OF THE WORLD!
OUR GOD IS AN AWWWWWWWWEESSSOOOMMMEE GOD, ISN'T HE?
ALL GLORY, HONOUR, ADORATION, THANKSGIVING, BE GIVEN TO HIM, OUR HOLY AND TRIUNE GOD, FOR THIM ALL EXALTATION, AS IT WAS IN THE BEGINNING, IS NOW AND FOR EVER SHALL BE, IN AGES AND AGES! AMEN! HALLELUYA!
OUR LADY, VIRGIN OF PENTECOST, PRAY FOR US BLESSED JOHN PAUL THE SECOND, INTERCEDE FOR US BLESSED HELENA GUERRA, INTERCEDE FOR US! :-)"

In hoc signo vinces!

This is an almost literal translation, raw but all the more expressive for that from our companion in Brazil.
Above is the video as appeared on a local Catholic Brazilian Channel. There is no translation but nevertheless it is a very moving testimony from this young man on his unimaginable journey.

The words of this Charismatic boy were fascinating!!! The things that are in parentheses as extra information I added just to make you guys understand. And if you happen to see any verb in parenthesis it is because it can mean both things in English.
Oh and as for the words "Cross" and "Crucifix" I was faithful to the meaning he gave in Portuguese, so the times he said "Cross" he meant the "Sacrifice of Jesus" and the times I wrote " Crucifix" he actually meant the "Crucifix" ok ? :-)
Hope you read it! it is a SO DEEP AND SOOOOOO ANOINTING TESTIMONY! Forgive me if, as I got emotional on translating, I may have forgotten any letter, I may have repeated the same word, but I bet YOU WILL UNDERSTAND! :-)
Here are the words he said:

"Sentinel" is the name given to the members of the Youth Minister of the Brazilian CCR, and they mean they are "sentinels" because as well as the "sentinels" had to be the security from the time of the jews, the youth today has to be sentinels that await Jesus to come back and has to proclaim that HE IS RISEN AND HE IS IN OUR MIDST, that's why he said " good evening, sentinels!

Ponta Grossais not only the name of the Diocese but also a city in the State of Paraná which is the first state in the South of Brazil

Blessed Elena Guerra was beatified in 1959 by Pope John XXIII with the title of Apostle of the Holy Spirit. This writer, theologian, educator and apostle is considered the precursor of the movement Renewal in the Holy Spirit.

"Good evening youth! Good evening sentinels!

My name is Felipe Passos, I'm from the Diocese of Ponta Grossa,Paraná and I belong to the "Worshiping Heart Prayer Group" Since I was child I seeked to feel God's Love in a deeper way, Since I was a child I seeked to have a deeper experience with God And today I can say I'm happy and I can say with such a joy to all of you, young people, that I preserve myself until the day of my marriage, I preserve myself through the chastity.

I wanna tell each one of you that today, I'm gonna tell a story that starts in the Madrid WYD, in 2011, in August.
So... I did all I could... and with such a courage I went there, I could make it, even without money sources, with the help of many people, and when I got there, I was living the experiences, and on each experience I was going deeper ... I was putting my roots there in each experience, I was edifying myself, and I could be strong in faith, but I can tell each on of you that on the Vigil Day , I had, for sure, a so strong experience with Jesus.

I looked at that Cross that Pope John Paul II gave us, he the Pilgrim of Love, I looked at the Icon of Our Lady, I looked at it, as I'm looking at this crowd of young people now, and I felt at the Silence of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, in that silence that he asked us, I can tell each one of you here that I heard God's voice.

After that, I came back to Brazil with a heart on Fire, a heart that was set on the Fire of the Holy Spirit, a heart full of vigour, with the strength of that Blessed woman, the Blessed Helena Guerra that one day she touched my heart and she said "It is THIS FIRE OF THE SPIRIT THAT WILL ELICIT IN THE HEARTS OF ALL THE YOUTH THE STRENGTH OF A RESTORED YOUTH!"
And I came back to Brazil in a so motivating way, because the next WYD was gonna be here in Brazil, and I so sure wanted to bring the youth of my Youth Prayer Group here, and today they're here, we worked with a so strong spiritual motivation, with fasting, prayer, formation, brotherhood-frathernal life, and prayer!
For getting here... I can say ... "I am here because of that!" And also because of the fundraising that we could get by working with the local community, with the parents, with that youth.
And that's how it begins the financial work that I started to do.

And on the 13th January of this year, two days before I turn to 23 years old, two young men entered home and wanted to take away from me all that money that we could get from the fundraising.
And at that time I remembered my mom, my brothers, and all those efforts that we've done with the young people and their family members from my community for fundraising that money.
They wanted to take all that money that we had sweat to make it, through worshiping nights, through dreams, through all possible ways to findraise it, and I ended up on getting a gun shot, and my life could have finished there (at that moment) oh youth!

But GOD HAD A SO GREATER MISSION,SO GREATER...

And I can say that God's Mercy was soooooo great, sooo big that God gave me, in less than two minutes two fire fighters to revive me from my heartattack! When I was being taken to the hospital the doctor told to my mom and my daddy just like this "This guy here has no chance of living, HE WILL NOT SURVIVE!" And my mom, on the Faith, and in Prayer, she said "No, HE WILL LIVE!". And there, I received the annointment of the sick, and
"TODAY I AM HERE!"(people clap and he interrupts and keep saying
But God's Providence and His Mercy was so great, so great that, there, my friends were already gathered, in that Hospital, Santa Casa (Holy House) they were asking and interceding for my life, and "prayers, worshiping nights, adorations" started to be spread all over Brazil and overseas asking God to make me live.
And as if it wasn't enough, I was sedated, in a induced coma state, I was with a tube on my throat, but I could ask, I could ask to receive the Eucharist,and in the following day, I received the Eucharist.

Young person, youths! God's Mercy on those days were tremendous! And I can tell you now that for ending my testimony, I remember you on that Cross, that Cross wich I said in the beginning of the testimony, that Cross which I had strong that strong prayer experience, that Cross that is right there!
You may look at this Cross!
You may look at the Icon of Our Lady!

And now I wanna tell each one of you that today, God gave me a Cross, and this Cross is my wheelchair,
today... I want you guys to do something,
"Can you see this Cross we received? This Pilgrim Cross? I want each one of you to grab this Cross, you can grab it, look at it,
Bishops, Cardinals, I want you to look at the Cross you have here on your chest, I want to say that today this Cross for me is this chair,

Which is your Cross?
My Cross is a Cross of happiness,
my Cross is a Cross of victory,
my Cross is a Cross of JOY,
MY CROSS IS THE CROSS OF THE RISEN ONE, AND MY CROSS I WANT TO MAKE IT WALK TOGETHER AS
THE CROSS OF THE WYD WALKS IN THE MIDDLE OF YOU, AS JESUS WALKS IN THE MIDST OF YOU!

AND TODAY... THE CROSS YOU'RE BEARING... AND RIGHT NOW, I WANT TO ASK EACH ONE OF YOU,
EACH ONE OF YOU THAT ARE THERE, IN THE BACK PART, YOU GUYS WHO ARE THERE, SO FAR AWAY,
YOU GUYS WHO ARE BEING PUSHED BY THE SO MANY PEOPLE AROUND YOU SINCE THIS EARLY MORNING,
TAKE YOUR CRUCIFIX, TAKE IT OFF OF YOUR NECK AND GET ON YOUR KNEES, AND TURN TO POPE JOHN, (he almost said Pope John Paul), POPE FRANCIS, if you want to get your knee a bit dirty, simply get on your knees now before our Pope.

Hold your Cross and tell our Pope

"This is our Cross!"

Tell it with STRENGTH, TELL IT

"THIIISS IIIISS OOUUURR CCCROOOSSSSS!!!!" (PEOPLE REPEAT IN CHORUS and after he keeps saying)

Once they tried to make me fall on the ground with my Cross, but they couldn't in fact, this Cross was the one that lifted me up and you also have this Cross and this Cross is lifting each one of you here in Brazil and through the communication systems and throughout the world
and I can say to each one of you that THIS CROSS IS THE CROSS OF THE VICTORY, THE CROSS OF A NEW GENERATION OF WORSHIPERS, YOUTH WITH FAITH, YOUTH WITH EXCELENCY! YOUTH WITH THE FIIIIRE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT! AMEN?
(PEOPLE SAY "AMEN" and clap, but he says)
"IN SILENCE, WEAR YOUR CRUCIFIX NOW, BECAUSE IN SILENCE, JESUS, THE HOLY SPIRIT IS GOING TO TALK"

"IT'S BEEN SOME TIME THE HOLY SPIRIT HAS BEEN TALKING IN MY HEART, AND SINCE A GOOD TIME AGO, POPE FRANCIS, THE BLESSED HELENE GUERRA SHE ASKED THAT THE CENTURY BE PROCLAIMED, THAT IT BE CONSECRATED TO THE HOLY SPIRIT"

"YOUNG PERSON! RAISE UP YOUR CRUCIFIX NOW! WE ARE GOING TO ASK THE POPE TO SANCTIFY,

WE ARE GOING TO ASK THE POPE THAT HE MAY CONSECRATE THE HUUUUMANITY, TO THE HOOOLLYYY SPPIIIIRRIIITT AND THIS CONSACRATION OF THE HUMANITY WILL BE DONE WITH THE POPE JOHN PAUL THE SECOND, WITH OUR LADY OF FATIMA, AND WITH THE BLESSED HELENA GUERRA'S INTERCESSION! AMEN?
(EVERYONE THERE ANSWERS " AMEN !" AND HE INTERRUPTS AND SAYS)

"AND FOR ME, LIVING IS CHRIST!LIVING MEANS BEING WITH CHRIST!
THANK YOU"

Finally the words of Pope Francis as he was leaving Brazil for the long journey to Rome.

"As I express my thanks and bid farewell, my thoughts turn to those who are at the heart of these celebrations: the young people! May God bless you for the beautiful witness of your lives and for your intense and joyful participation over these last few days. Many of you came here as disciples; I have no doubt that all of you will leave as missionaries. Through your joyful witness and service, help to build a civilization of love. Show, by your life, that it is worth giving your time and talents in order to attain high ideals, it is worth recognizing the dignity of each human person, and it is worth taking risks for Christ and his Gospel. It is he that we have come to seek because he first sought us. It is he who has inflamed our hearts with the desire to take the Good News to the large cities and to the small communities, to the countryside and to all the corners of this vast planet. I will always place my hopes in the young people of Brazil and in the young around the world: through them, Christ is preparing a new springtime all over the earth. I have seen its first fruits and I know that others will joyfully reap the full harvest.

Finally, my thoughts turn to Our Lady of Aparecida, to whom I also bid farewell. In that beloved Shrine I knelt to pray for the entire human family and in particular for all Brazilians. I implored Mary to strengthen you in the Christian faith, which forms part of the noble soul of Brazil, as indeed of many other countries; this faith is your culture's treasure and serves as encouragement and support in the task of building a renewed humanity in harmony and solidarity.

As he departs, the Pope says to all of you affectionately: "see you soon". He asks you not to forget to pray for him. The Pope needs the prayers of all of you. I offer you an affectionate embrace. May God bless you!

"Silence!" he said. "Let's listen to the Holy Spirit!"

Wheelchair-bound man moves three million hearts in Copacabana

The young Brazilian Felipe Passos moved the hearts of three million World Youth Day participants, including Pope Francis himself, when he told the story of how he became bound to a wheelchair and discovered "the Cross."

Felipe, 23, spoke at the World Youth Day prayer vigil July 27 at Copacabana Beach.

He told how at the end of the past World Youth Day, held in Madrid in 2011, he made two spiritual promises. He promised to stay chaste until marriage and to work hard so his prayer group of Ponta Grossa, in Brazil's southern state of Parana, could participate in this year's World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro.

With few resources, Felipe and his friends began saving money by working several hard jobs at the same time that they prepared themselves spiritually: praying, adoring the Blessed Sacrament, fasting and doing works of solidarity.

Then a horrible thing happened.

"In January of this year, two days before turning 23, two youths entered my house, armed, to rob the money we had gathered with so much sacrifice," said Felipe.

"I thought of the months of great efforts, of my family's sacrificing, of my friends and colleagues... in what would have been snatched from us and I decided I would not give it," he added July 27.

Felipe saved the savings of the group, but received a gunshot wound that almost ended his life.

"I was clinically dead, I had several cardiac arrests, and the doctor told my parents in the hospital 'this boy has no hope,' but I'm here and my community is here because of God's mercy," remarked Felipe.

In front of a shocked crowd and in front of Pope Francis, who looked at him attentively, the Brazilian told how he was in coma, breathing through a tube, while his community offered prayer intentions and sacrifices so he would heal.

Finally, when he became conscious, the first thing he did was ask for the Eucharist and after receiving it, he recovered rapidly.

But Felipe, who was then bound to a wheelchair, stated, "this is my cross, the cross the Lord sent me to come closer to him, to live more openly his grace and love."

When the three million youths broke out clapping, Felipe interrupted them.

"Silence!" he said. "Let's listen to the Holy Spirit!"

The 23-year-old then asked each of the youths present to take the cross they had hung around their neck, to hold it and look at it.

Felipe invited them to meditate in silence on the questions: "What is the cross that the Lord has given me? What is the cross that he wants me to carry for his love?"

Everyone present, including bishops and cardinals, contemplated their own cross around their neck. The wheelchair-bound young man's words created a unique moment of profound silence along the entire Copacabana beach.

Felipe finished his testimony asking for prayers as well as for Pope Francis' blessing.
Taken from Catholic News Agency Report 27 July 2013

The full (long) video of the Popes attendance at the Vigil may be found on the Vatican TV English Language Website (Pope at Prayer Vigil with Young People Jul 28) with a simultaneous translation.

Some of Pope Francis's tweets in English from the WYD 2013 and some more video memories! (Focus - Fellowship of Catholic University Students)

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