Annual Walk of the Jornadistas Is a Testament of Faith

By Marie Elena Giossi

Marie Elena Giossi Photos 

Jornadistas came out by the hundreds from around 25 parishes in Brooklyn and Queens, as well as the Bronx and Manhattan, on Holy Saturday, March 22, to walk united as witnesses of Christ through the streets of Cobble Hill, Downtown Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan.

This manifestation of faith is known as the Caminata Jornadistas, or Walk of the Jornadistas, and has been a Holy Week tradition in the Brooklyn Diocese for 27 years. Hispanic and Latino young adult members of the Jornada youth movement observe, relive and commemorate Christ’s final steps on Mt. Calvary.

Caminata 2008 kicked off at St. Paul’s Church on Congress St. in Cobble Hill. Teens made their first stop at St. James Cathedral-Basilica, Downtown Brooklyn. Following a blessing from Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio, young adults then trekked over the Brooklyn Bridge to ground zero, where they observed a moment of silence. They continued their procession in Manhattan to the parishes of St. Peter, St. Joseph, St. Teresa, Our Lady of Sorrows, and Holy Redeemer. Their final stop in the late afternoon was at St. Emeric, East Village. Along the way, youth meditated on the last seven words of Christ, prayed the rosary and sang hymns of praise.

This year’s theme, “Recibe el Espiritu Santo y Tu Seras mi Testigo” (Receive the Holy Spirit and you will be my witness), based on Acts 1:8, is also the theme for the 23rd World Youth Day in Australia this summer.

Anabel Sosa, 20, and her sister Jessica, 12, and their friend Ivette Fernandez, 16, from St. Catharine of Alexandria, Borough Park, were among the first to arrive at St. Paul’s, anxious to start their journey, on which all participants maintained a discipline of silence and fasting.

“I want to feel what Jesus felt on his long walk to the place where he was crucified,” said Jessica Sosa, who took part in her first Caminata.

Equipo Base, the lay leadership of the movement, organized the event with the new spiritual directors, Father David Espinosa and Deacon Jimmy Garcia of Our Lady of the Cenacle, Richmond Hill. This is the first year diocesan clergy are overseeing the movement, which was previously conducted by Vincentian Fathers.

“I love working with young people. They have such a beauty about them. This group in particular is incredibly faith filled. It’s inspiring, fulfilling and healing,” an enthusiastic Father Espinosa said about his new ministry. He’s pleased to be working with Deacon Garcia, a Jornadista, J66, who discovered his vocation to the diaconate through the movement.

For the walk, they instituted a movement-wide T-shirt of dark green with yellow letters so young adults could demonstrate unity in their attire as well as their actions.

Teens presented a unified body as they marched through the streets but also maintained their parish identities. Each parish gave life to the day’s theme in the form of brightly colored banners, like the one Alejandro Bautista and Jesus Jimenez created for St. Rocco, Sunset Park, using acrylic paints on white cloth. The team designed an image with a dove, chalice and Host.

Just after 9 a.m., Father Espinosa invoked God’s blessings upon the youth and then the Caminata Chrous and Band began playing, signifying the start of the walk. Officers from the 84th Precinct escorted the procession, which extended a block and a half in length.

Steve Roman, J149, walked with St. Rocco’s banner, proudly taking part in his third Caminata. “It’s inspiring to see young people walking for the faith.”

Also joining youth along their journey were Msgr. Perfecto Vazquez, spiritual director of the Cursillo Movement; Brother Frank Mulvaney, C.Ss.R., from Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Sunset Park; and Father Kevin Sweeney, vocation director, who incited the chant, “We love Jesus, yes we do! We love Jesus, how about you?”

Bishop DiMarzio smiled and waved at the throng with Msgr. John Strynkowski, rector, as they arrived at St. James just before 10 a.m. In Spanish and English, the bishop called the young people “great witnesses of Christ” and instructed them to continue being “people of faith and love.”

Caminata 2008: Jornadistas conducted their 27th annual walk reliving the last steps of Christ through Cobble Hill, Downtown Brooklyn and Manhattan on Holy Saturday, March 22.From top down, at the start of the procession, members display the main Jornada De Vida Cristiana banner, which was followed by themed banners from each participating parish. New spiritual directors of the movement, Deacon Jimmy Garcia and Father David Espinosa, hold the wooden cross that was carried throughout the day; Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio greeted youths at St. James Cathedral-Basilica, Downtown Brooklyn, and took time to encourage Brenda Cisneros and others from St. Rocco, Sunset Park; and proud Jornadistas from Zone 1, representing Sunset Park, Borough Park and Park Slope, showed their love for Chuito.

Sheepshead Bay Youth Share Faith in Manhattan Beach

The St. Mark Youth Group under the direction of Lori Ryan, sponsored its first Good Friday Walk on March 21. Father Joseph Grimaldi, pastor, and Father Andrew Dunyo, along with over 80 members of the parish family of St. Mark and St. Margaret Mary processed through the streets of Sheepshead Bay into Manhattan Beach, making stops for each Station of the Cross. Volunteers led the procession bearing a wooden cross while youth group members carried a banner made by Alyssa, Gina and Luca Guglielmo and Shannon Ryan. Auxiliary police from the 61st Precinct escorted the crowd.

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